From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn
by Ashe Van Hollow
Summary: When the princess arrives determined to save her kingdom, Link must find the hero, and beast, within and help the princess who had lost it all reclaim her throne. Many characters, exploring OoT, MM, WW, and TP. Full sum: Profile.[LinkXZelda]
1. Prologue: The Fall of Hyrule

**From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn**

**By: Ashe Van Hollow**

**A/N: This is my first ever fanfiction and I would certainly appreciate it if you would all please, sit back, relax, and finish this chapter. It's a bit slow at first, but it'll get better. The title says it all.**

**Prologue: The Fall of Hyrule**

"_Trying to rule out the criteria."_

Rainfall. Her inability to see anything in the courtyard was all because of it. She stumbled, fumbling around for something. It was an urgent need, a desire to obtain something which was lost, even though she didn't know what it was. She licked her bottom lip slightly, and tasted a mix of blood and salt. Her desperation increased when she heard footsteps behind the door leading to her. She had to find it now or else, all would be lost.

They began banging on the doors, yelling for her to open up. She tripped over something and scraped her knee through the torn dress. Through the curtain of rain, she could decipher a body. A horrifying sensation of recognition choked her. It was her caretaker, Impa. She couldn't hold back the scream of anguish that rose from the very depths of her soul. All noise ceased. Then there was a loud explosion which, for a few seconds, lit up the whole courtyard. From the corner of her eye, she spotted that which she had been searching for.

Then he came into the courtyard and quickly shoved her against a wall. She could see the evil glint in his eyes. He was insane, in a degree far beyond imagining. And he had won.

"Finally, I've found you Princess of Destiny. Now, where is it?"

She spat at him.

"I'd never tell you, even if it killed me."

Her defiance only served to amuse him and he grinned at her maliciously.

"Sir! We've found it!" A soldier declared.

"Wonderful. This will make things go by much easier. We have no other use for you, Zelda. Now, gather around, soldiers. It is time you see how to kill a descendant of the sages. With the fall of this girl, the last heir to the throne of Hyrule, you shall finally witness our rise to power!"

The soldiers cheered. Zelda made one last attempt at his human side.

"He trusted you. I trusted you! Why have you betrayed Hyrule?! Betrayed me?! The senseless destruction…How could you?"

If only for a second, there was guilt in his eyes.

"Goodbye Princess Zelda."

He raised his sword above his head to strike the final blow.

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"No!"

Her crystal clear blue eyes shot open in shock and she sat up straight. Her hands clenched the sheets of her bed. She was trembling badly. The door burst open and Impa raced inside with a few guards. Quietly, and with what she hoped was a calm voice, she ordered the guards out. Once they were outside, Impa turned to Zelda.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes. It was just a nightmare."

"Was it the same as the others?" Impa asked quietly.

"This time there were a few factors that hadn't…that hadn't quite appeared in the others."

"Like what?"

"This time I was out in the courtyard. I was searching desperately for…I'm not sure what, although I'm certain it was important. And there was a man. I don't remember his face."

"Do you remember any details that may be relevant? Your dreams have had a tendency to come true…"

Zelda shook her head thoughtfully.

"I don't think anything will happen. You needn't worry about it."

But if that was the case, then why did she still feel uneasy?

Impa bowed.

"Then I shall see you outside, your highness."

"Please don't call me that. We've been through this before. When we're alone, please honor me by calling me Zelda." She tried to correct.

"Good morning your highness."

Impa left through the doors before she could argue. She sighed at the stubbornness of the woman. She never really had been able to convince her to call her by her first name.

She took her hair brush and combed through her blonde hair. When she was done, she braided the last of it down mid back in an elegant manner. (1) It was very easy, as she had years of practice, but how she did it without any help, the servants could only wonder. As she dressed she noticed a subtle tapping against the door. One of the servants coming to check on her because of the nightmare, most likely.

"I'm fine, thank you. It was just a nightmare. You needn't worry about it."

"Alright then. The King awaits you, princess, and he does not like to be kept waiting."

She sighed slightly in exasperation. Her father's antics were amusing at some points, but this morning she wasn't in the mood. But soon that feeling was replaced by a new one. Dread. The dream had filled her with it. The feeling of dèjá vu made no sense. She had never experienced the ransacking of her home, and even less an invasion of darkness and shadows that came from another realm…had she? No. It was impossible. Surely she would have remembered such an incident.

Her confusion quickly grew into frustration. Why couldn't she remember the face of the man that betrayed her? Every alarm in her body screamed out for recognition but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember the man's face. Her unease increased as she remembered which day it was. It was the day her father, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, would publicly announce her engagement with Zant, the prince of Twilight. They were going to announce it at the ball tonight in celebration. Everyone was allowed to attend.

Personally she thought the engagement was kind of stupid, as she didn't even love the guy, even less like him. It was a sort of neutral relationship. From her part at least. There wasn't a day when she didn't wish he had never fallen in love with her. From the first time she saw him she knew she could never bring herself to love him. And yet he wasn't as false or pompous as any of the others. She had suddenly found herself accepting and her life was slowly, but steadily, spiraling out of her control.

"Is everything alright in there, princess?"

She snapped out of her reverie. She noticed bemusedly that she had been sitting on her bed for quite the long time after she had finished dressing.

"Yes, everything's fine. I'll be right out."

"Your father is not pleased so I suggest you take your sword with you."

Zelda laughed softly as she opened the door.

"Dearest Marin, I certainly hope it does not come to that." She said.

Marin smiled and bowed. At her reaction, she frowned and sighed in frustration. She had known Marin for as long as she could remember and she hated the fact that Marin still thought of her as her princess and not her friend. After all, they had practically grown up together.

"Princess, forgive me for saying this but that frown does not suit your beautiful complexion. Although your beauty is not diminished, it is better to see you smile." Marin said.

"There's no need for flattery. Please don't put me on the pedestal. I'd rather walk among my friends. And if you must insist on treating me like royalty then do it when there are other people around. When we're alone then treat me as a friend."

Marin laughed and poked Zelda.

"I was wondering when you would say that! I was dying to tell you about yesterday…" She sighed dreamily.

Zelda blinked in surprise.

"Did he propose?" She asked blankly.

Marin stifled a laugh at the memory.

"Goddesses, he was so nervous! It took him the whole night to pop the question, and he could barely speak."

"About time. That's so like Mido." Zelda said, laughing joyously, "I wish you a happy marriage."

"Thanks. Oh, hey. I heard you had a nightmare this morning. Everything ok?"

"It was nothing. You needn't worry about it."

For a second, Marin looked confused which made Zelda confused. Then Marin looked startled.

"I'm holding you up, Zelda, and your father isn't happy! You'd best go see him before you actually do have to face his wrath!"

Zelda winced at this. When her father wasn't happy…everything somehow ended up going wrong. She thanked Marin and bid her good morning. She made her way to the Grand Hall and approached their table. Her father stared at her with a blank look, the kind that clearly stated 'You better have an excuse ready.'

"I had a nightmare." Was her simple reply, along with a blank look of her own.

Her father raised an eyebrow at this.

"This slowed you down for half an hour?" He asked quietly.

"Yes."

She hoped he wouldn't ask the dreaded question.

"And Marin had nothing to do with it?"

He stared at her with an expectant expression. She almost sighed in relief.

"No."

"Alright. Now why don't you sit down and tell me about your nightmare?"

Oh…How wonderful. Sarcasm is a really nifty tool, don't you think?

"It was nothing, really. You needn't worry about it."

How many times had she used that line already? What, five?

"If you're sure. I have something to discuss with you, though. It's about the Gerudo's situation…"

Zelda began eating, hardly paying attention to her father's discussion. She had heard the argument so many times she was almost reciting it with him. She already knew the correct answer to the problem but her father would most likely not approve. Of course, when had he ever approved of her decisions?

"…They have no food and they seek aid from our country, but we cannot abide. What kind of King would give away his people's food? They work so hard every day for it."

"Excuse me father, but if I may, why not let them pay off the debt over time? Their people die every day from starvation. We cannot let this continue any further. Their land is not fertile enough to bear food for them and you know it as well as I do. If this continues, I fear the consequences. This situation will most likely end in bloodshed."

He sighed thoughtfully, and she was surprised when he nodded.

"I suspect you're correct in your assumption. I'll discuss this with the council. Well done, my daughter. You will make a great Queen yet."

He left Zelda at the table pondering what had occurred.

"Did he just praise me?" She asked herself quietly.

"Your engagement has lightened his attitude towards you."

She jumped at the sudden intrusion. Turning around, she saw Impa standing at the doorway. Regaining her composure, she stood and watched as the cooks carried away her plates. She signaled Impa to follow her. Quickly and quietly, they left outside towards the garden.

"I don't want to marry him."

The statement was simple enough but the reality of it crashed down upon her with full force. She didn't think herself ready to get married, especially not to a man whom she didn't love.

"I know you don't."

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It was the hour of twilight and she awaited the arrival of her fiancé. The ball would start any minute now and the guests were arriving. She wore an elegant gown and everyone complemented her on her choice. Marin was standing with Mido next to Zelda as she uneasily awaited Zant. Something was wrong and she could feel it in the air. Something had been wrong ever since that morning. It stirred a dark and cruel fear inside her, a fear so irrational it spurred paranoia.

Yes. Something was horribly, horribly wrong.

"Princess!" A voice made her look up.

Zant stood there panting holding a bouquet of pink roses in his hand. He walked up to her and kissed her softly on the cheek. His lips were cold, and the feeling sent shivers down her spine.

"Unfortunately we're going to have to wait until we're married to do anything about that. Or maybe it'll come sooner than we think." He winked.

He had obviously misunderstood the meaning of her shivering. She smiled weakly in response. That was the one thing she feared the most about their marriage.

"Let's go inside." She whispered.

He obliged and flashed her a grin. For a moment her heart stopped. There was something eerily familiar about that grin, as if she had seen it somewhere before. A sinking feeling began to develop in the pit of her stomach.

"Everything alright, your highness?" Marin asked. Her concern was touching.

"Yes. Why?"

"You look a little pale."

"Maybe it's the heat. Hyrule certainly is hot during this time. Sometimes I wish I could do something about it." Zant suggested.

"I'm fine." Zelda snapped.

Without waiting for an answer she went inside. The noise there was distracting, but only slightly. The feeling was still stuck, like a warning bell had just been set off. What was going on? She could feel something amiss and she feared for her friends and family, even more for her people.

"What's going on?" She murmured to herself

Suddenly, she heard her father's booming voice call out for everyone's attention. She made her way to the front of the room, wondering whether he was already going to announce her engagement. She felt someone move beside her and caught a glimpse of blonde hair. On her other side she felt Zant come up behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder attempting to give her some kind of comfort.

The King of Hyrule stared at everyone at the crowd. A hushed silence fell upon them all and they turned to listen to the important announcement of their king. He stood strong and tall, and for a second all her fears vanished. For a second…

"First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who are here tonight…"

For a second, she thought she saw a flicker of movement behind one of the stone pillars that stood behind her father. She stared at the darkness behind the pillar for a few moments, horror mounting up in her throat. She told herself it was a trick of the light. Over and over again she repeated it in her head, forming a mantra.

'_You're just a little paranoid because of the dream you had last night. Nothing's going to happen tonight. Nothing is hiding behind that pillar.'_

Doubt plagued her saying as she tried to convince herself. The doubt was there, just like it had been when she had thought of marrying Zant, when she was considering his proposal. It had been there when she had said yes. It had been there when she had told her father. It had been there when the ball had been announced. All of her decisions had been plagued by doubt. Her nightmares had started before she had accepted his marriage proposal. They had begun haunting her right after she had met him.

"_Or maybe it'll come sooner than we think."_

Her whole life she had been taught to make good decisions and the only way to make good decisions was to be sure. If she was sure of her decision, even if it was a mistake, at least she would know she had truly thought it over and she had thought it the best option at the time. But she had made all those decisions, taken all of those risks not based upon certainty, but upon fear and doubt.

"My daughter as you all know has been courting princes' from all over…"

His grin earlier had not been made out of love or anything else. There had been something else hidden in his face, behind his mask. There had been a malicious side to that grin. A sadistic side. And his eyes…his eyes hadn't been the same lighthearted ones she had seen the last time he had come to visit. This time they seemed wilder for some reason. They seemed weighed down by burden…by guilt.

"_Maybe it'll come sooner than we think."_

And with an epiphany she realized who he had reminded her of. The man in the nightmare.

"I am here to publicly announce her…"

And she caught the flicker of light that only happened when reflected against a drawn sword.

"…engagement to the…"

She ran forward.

"…prince of…"

She heard her name uttered from Zant as he tried to grab her arm.

"Father! Behind-!"

A shocked silence ensued as they watched the King of Hyrule's eyes suddenly widen. The front of his formal uniform ripped open and the tip of the blade of a sword was visible. He looked down towards it, reaching with his hands and gagging almost unbelievably. Blood seemed to spill out of his mouth like an over filled bathtub. And then his gaze rose to meet Zelda's horrorstruck one. She was stone still, almost like a statue. She had frozen mid sprint, her hand reaching out towards him. Her breath came out in a shocked cry.

"Zel…da…"

She staggered one step forward. Her facial expression was a mix of pain and shock.

"Father…" Her voice was choked.

He slumped forward and fell for the final time. Behind him stood a man dressed in black. He stared at everyone's shocked expressions with sick amusement.

"You…won't get away with this." She spoke with such defiant fervor that for a moment, everyone wanted to believe her.

He stared at her, smirking. She couldn't look away, even if she had wanted to. She glared at him with fire in her eyes.

"Destroy the town, disperse the people, and kill anyone who dare oppose you." He said to a group of soldiers, "And Zant, I shall give _you_ the most important task of all: Kill the Princess of Destiny."

Before she knew what was happening, a group of soldier's surrounded her in a protective circle.

"You shall not harm our princess!"

The man in black laughed and suddenly a black portal seemed to shimmer and appear behind him. Black monsters rose out from it and rushed at the soldiers who vainly attempted to fend them off. Zelda stared in horror as her men quickly fell to the ground, unmoving.

Someone suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly and roughly towards the stairs. Marin dragged her along up them as quickly as she could. They heard the commotion in the ball room and the screams of children crying out for their parents. People ran towards the exit of the castle, trying to escape the sheer horror of the situation.

Marin led Zelda through the hallways of the castle always listening to the footfalls of the soldiers following them. Somehow she touched a panel in the wall and the wall opposite to it slid open. Marin shoved Zelda inside and quickly followed her in. She touched a dusty candlestick inside the passage and the wall quickly slid shut.

Zelda felt Marin's hand grab hers again as she led her through the passage. It was pitch black and their heavy breaths echoed off the walls. Fortunately, something told her to keep quiet and she did not a moment too soon. Soldiers ran on the other side of the wall and they could hear the clinking of the armor they wore.

"They went over here! This way!" Someone shouted.

After the soldiers had passed, they moved on through the passage. They kept moving in a heavy silence that was killing Zelda on the inside. Her father was gone. What had happened? Why was everything going wrong? And why had the man in black called her 'The Princess of Destiny'? What was that supposed to be? Nothing made any sense.

Out of desperation, Zelda squeezed Marin's hand in an attempt to convince herself someone else was there inside the tunnel with her. The other girl squeezed her hand back and whispered comfortingly:

"We're almost there."

Rapidly, and without another word, they reached a fork in the passage, bathed in a soft light from some candles in the wall. They took the right one and soon came upon a dead end. Marin let go of Zelda's hand and tapped the wall three times. It slid open to reveal the courtyard. It was pouring rain and she could barely see three feet in front of her. Another creepy wave of dèjá vu washed over her and she remembered the events in her dream. As if by a force of nature, she ran forth and tripped over something. Horror built up in her throat as she peered through the rain at the corpse's face.

"Princess, who…?" Marin's voice was shaky, almost as if she already knew who it was.

His face was blank and his eyes stared up at the rain, wide open as if something had caught him from behind. He wore a green tunic and was a bit on the short side for a man his age. It was Mido.

"…No…no, no, no…" Marin whispered over and over again to herself, "This is my fault…Oh goddesses, I killed him…"

A paralyzed shock was the only thing Zelda was aware of. Not even the tears of her friend were enough to wake her up. Numbness spread over her like a fog. Her mind vainly tried to analyze what was happening. Trying to find a logical explanation for why they were committing wild and senseless murder. Her eyes stared at Mido's lifeless body. They were unable to move from his shocked eyes, and for a moment Zelda imagined herself like that. Cold and unmoving.

"Oh Mido, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I never knew this would happen…"

Zelda slowly turned to look at Marin. She loved Mido; she truly did and there was no way of escaping the reality of his death.

"It wasn't your fault." Her voice seemed cold and almost uncaring, even to her.

"Yes it was, I sent him here to meet us…What've I done, Zelda? Why is this happening to us?"

"I wish I knew."

A rasping noise reached them, and they both looked fearfully towards where they came from. The secret panel slid open and a solitary figure approached them. It limped slightly as it walked towards them. The figure had a torch in hand, clearly taken from one of the walls inside the passage.

"Your Highness, I've been searching all over for you."

"Impa!" Zelda whispered in relief

"In your nightmares you were searching for something of great importance. I think I have found it."

The caretaker held something up in her hands. It glinted in the moonlight. A small and dull crystal shard hung from a golden chain. It glinted dangerously, almost in warning.

Something inside her stirred.

"Where did you find it?"

"Inside the throne room. I assume you know what to do with it."

Zelda shook her head.

"In the nightmare I did, but I don't remember."

The silence was broken by a burst of yells of excitement.

"I can see her! She's in the courtyard!"

The color in Marin's face drained and Impa handed Zelda the shard. She encircled the chain around her neck and fastened it.

"We've got to get you out of here!" Marin hissed.

She ran to the wall opposite the original one and tapped twice. It slid open revealing yet another secret passage. She waved Impa and Zelda over, both of whom were dead quiet. The panel slid shut behind them. They ran as fast as they could, following Marin who led them through a maze of passages.

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked. She made sure to keep her voice as low as possible.

"The stables. I'm getting you out of here alive if it's the last thing I do!"

She felt her heart wrench. When her friend spoke that way it made her think it would be the last time she would ever see her. She couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again, and even less the thought of her dying while protecting her. She swore mentally to herself that she would personally make sure Marin made it out alive.

"You're coming with me."

"No. One rider has more chances of making it out of here unnoticed." Impa said

"There's no way I'm leaving you both behind. You'll come with me."

"Princess, please. You're life is more important." Marin said selflessly

"No. I refuse to believe that I am more important than my friends. A good kingdom is made up by its people, not by its rulers. My duty is to protect my people, not to sacrifice them in order to save myself!" She replied indignantly.

"Milady, what you're thinking is crazy."

"Unfortunately for the both of us, I like crazy." Zelda said, smiling grimly

They reached the end of the passage and Marin stopped. She signaled at Impa, who in turn stepped forward. She placed the palm of her hand flat on the stone wall and it shimmered. A grinding noise reached Zelda's ears accompanied by the clinking of gears having been set into motion. The wall slid open and some stairs were revealed. They descended them quickly. Once downstairs, the path twisted like loop holes on a rollercoaster. They pressed forward until they reached yet another dead end.

Impa repeated the process with this door and they emerged through a stone wall in an empty stall. The horses in the neighboring stalls whinnied in recognition. Once outside the stall, Zelda could see the shimmering fires of soldiers holding torches. They were fast approaching the stables.

"How did they-?!" Marin asked alarmed

"No time." Impa said, "We leave now!"

Zelda ran towards her own mare, Ashelia, inside a stall near the back entrance of the stables. The mare was pure white and she herself had chosen it as a filly when she was fourteen, three years ago. Quickly, she and Marin began dressing her up. Impa had already prepared her own horse and was leading her towards the back entrance when the said doors burst open. There stood Zant, his lips pursed grimly.

Zelda recklessly stood in front of him and slapped him. In her veins was a sense of betrayal so harsh, it flowed through her blood as pure loathing. She glared at him as the pain mixed with hatred showed clearly on her face. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. Then he turned to look at her again. His dark eyes were filled with an emotion she couldn't identify.

"Why would you do this?" Her voice shook violently.

"I can't tell you." His voice was low.

Zelda had to restrain herself from bursting into tears.

"Tell me why!"

"I'm sorry." His voice was as quiet as it was raw.

"You filled me with lies, and I should've known better. I never should've trusted you."

He reached out towards her reflexively but Impa pulled her back, dagger in hand.

"No, no don't say that! I do love you…"

"People who say they love others don't stab them in their backs!" Marin snapped holding Ashelia's reigns in one hand.

"He said I couldn't marry her because she had to die!" Zant argued, the pain in his voice was evident, and yet Zelda couldn't find it in her heart to pity him. Not even a little.

"Move out of the way."

"I'm sorry, Zel, but I-"

"Don't you dare call me that, you traitor!"

"I'm sorry Princess but I want the power. Goodbye."

He raised his hand and it began glowing with a reddish light. There was a sudden flash and they were momentarily blinded. When vision returned to Zelda, she saw Impa holding Zant off with a magical barrier. Marin had mounted Ashelia.

"Go Princess!" Impa shouted

"What about-?!"

"I'll be right behind you!"

Zelda reluctantly seated herself behind Marin. She spurred Ashelia who instantly began galloping towards the Castle's bridge, the only exit which led to Castle Town. Zelda turned her head around to watch the scene back at the stables. Impa was holding off Zant, pouring in all her concentration. She watched with satisfaction as Zant fell to his knees, weakened. And then the impossible happened.

The stables exploded. Her heart stopped for two seconds.

Out of the depths of the flames rose two solitary figures. It was Zant and the man in black.

The shock was mind numbing.

"Impa! Impa! No! We must go back! Impa!" She cried

She moved desperately, trying with all her might to get off the horse. Marin hauled Zelda towards her with her left hand and urged the horse to go faster. Slowly, Zelda stopped moving. She looked vacant, almost lifeless. A deep understanding had settled itself over her. This was not a dream. No matter how many times she screamed, neither her father nor Impa would come back again. This wasn't a bad dream. It wasn't a game. The feeling of finality wouldn't go away. This…was reality.

"No!"

Zelda looked behind her to see what her friend had been upset about. Four riders followed them. She looked forward. The bridge was within sight.

She would survive this. She had to. For her people.

"Hyaah!" Marin spurred the horse

Marin led Ashelia into the bridge. The doors were wide open and they rode through them as quickly as they could. The townspeople stared at them with fearful wide eyes as they rode by them like maniacs on the run.

"It's Princess Zelda!" She heard someone say

"Move to safety! I'll come back to you, I promise!" Zelda yelled.

They sped through the plaza and ran straight towards the south exit. The riders were still right behind them, knocking arrows on their bows. They aimed and let fly. The arrows soared through the sky, straight at them. Marin jerked the reigns to the side and the arrows missed by half an inch. They passed the exit and entered Castle Town's small courtyard. Ashelia jumped the stairs and landed with a thud at the bottom.

Even in a horrifying moment, Zelda couldn't help but take pride. No one could outmaneuver her horse.

They continued pressing forward, taking no heed of the mob of goblins that guarded the entrance to Hyrule Field. Ashelia jumped over them, accidentally running one over when she landed. They came out onto Hyrule Field and Marin spurred Ashelia towards Faron Province. They didn't know where they were going but anything was better than getting killed by a group of blood lusting riders.

Zelda heard the 'twang' of a bow and turned around. An arrow scraped her right arm. She yelled out in pain.

"What is it?!" Marin asked anxiously

"They got me…but don't worry. It's just a flesh wound."

All of a sudden, she heard the echoes of another rider beside them. The rider had bright blonde hair and he had pulled out a bow. Leaning back slightly, he turned around on the horse and knocked an arrow. He shot at Zelda and she screamed. But the hit never came. When she looked, the arrow was lodged on another that had been heading towards her.

The rider knocked another arrow and released it. It hit one of the enemy riders and he collapsed to the ground. The mysteriously helpful rider turned around to face forward. He neared Ashelia.

"Follow me!"

As they rode together towards the woods, Zelda began to feel groggy and lightheaded. Blinking, she looked around sluggishly. Her breathing seemed to shallow and the woods seemed to distort in front of her eyes. She slumped forward, digging her face into Marin's back, trying to escape the feeling that she was about to throw up.

They entered the woods and the trees seemed to snap at her face, trying to claw at her. She clung to Marin fearfully, feeling herself fading. Her strength dwindled and she almost fell off her horse.

"Marin…" She groaned

"Zelda, what's wrong?! What's wrong with her?!"

"I think she's been poisoned! We have to lose them and get her to Aryll! Trust me, she'll help. Follow me and don't stray away!"

Automatically, their horses began galloping even faster than before. Their eyes focused on one thing only: Forward.

"Hold on, Zelda. Please hold on." There was a strong desperation in Marin's voice and she sounded teary.

Ashelia followed the other horse's lead and jumped into a creek. They splashed up the creek, riding for everything their lives were worth.

"What's your name?" Marin asked the other rider.

"Sheik."

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"You don't but you'll just have to take the risk for the sake of your princess."

"How did you know?"

"I was there when her father was killed."

"I never saw you."

"That's because I was only there to make a delivery. I was supposed to give this bow to the King as a present from the village of Ordon. I arrived at the Castle and was immediately pegged as a thief. I got held up and was imprisoned."

"How'd you manage to get out? And why are you helping us?"

"I got out by luck. I managed to trick one of the guards into letting me out and stole back the king's bow. Actually, I think it was meant for the princess. She has archery classes, does she not?"

He was trying to evade the question. Even Zelda, who felt as though she could die, could tell.

"She does, and is quite skilled. Now will you please answer my question?"

"I'm helping you because…Because I want to do something to help the princess. I guess my loyalty to the crown isn't completely gone."

"Loyalty wouldn't have anything to do with a certain reward would it?" Marin said.

"No. Really, what kind of person do you think I am?"

"A hot-blooded male like any other."

"Don't put me on the pedestal…" Zelda argued weakly.

"Oh Zel, what would I do with myself if I didn't have you to annoy?" Marin said tearfully.

Zelda laughed softly.

"Probably wander about lost, since I am the sun and you are the planets that surround me." She tried to joke.

Marin and Sheik both laughed.

"Such conceit! It's a side of you that I had never known." Marin said

There was a comfortable silence. And then they remembered why they were out there in the first place. Sheik listened for enemy voices but heard none. Not even the rustle of leaves when someone passed through. They had saved themselves and hadn't even realized it. Sheik let out a victorious laugh.

"I'll bet they'll think twice about chasing us now, won't they princess?"

Silence answered his question.

"Princess?" He asked again, looking towards her.

Zelda had her eyes closed and was slumped forward against Marin.

"Is she alright?"

"Princess, wake up! Wake up!" Sheik yelled.

He leaned over towards her and shook her hard. Zelda swam through fog. She had never been this sleepy before. But she obeyed. She opened her eyes groggily, fighting against heavy eyelids.

"What's happening to me, Sheik? Why do I feel so tired?"

"It's the poison. Marin, we have to get her to my home. Aryll, my best friend's sister, she can help her. She may be young, but she's the best healer in the village."

"Which way? I'll try anything as long as she survives!"

"My home is in Ordon Province. It's right next to the spring where the great light spirit lives."

"Then we'll ride! How long do you think she has?"

"Not long."

With that said, a new determination burned inside Marin. She spurred Ashelia into a gallop and patted the horse's head affectionately. Meanwhile, Zelda was swimming through fog again. She was almost on the verge of losing consciousness. Sheik noticed somehow and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"What do you usually do at the castle?" He asked, trying to keep her entertained.

"Politics…it all surrounds politics….Usually…I've got to sit through some really…truly very boring monologues…And then there are the…lessons…" She trailed off

Sheik chuckled.

"What are your lessons?"

She swam, trying to remember.

"I…I took archery lessons…and I also took swordsmanship…It was easy…although the thing I found easiest was magic…"

"Any good spells there?"

Her eyelids fluttered.

"Zelda, tell me about your spells."

"…There was Din's Fire…Nayru's love…I can…I can summon the wind with…with…"

"With what?"

"…Farore's Wind…"

"What else? Are you doing anything about the Gerudo's situation?"

"…Right…I think I discussed that…with daddy...before he…died…"

"I'm sorry."

"I think…I remember when I was a child…before mother died…he used to make me kiss the top of his bald spot…and he said…because he said it would make his hair grow…but then mother…she died and daddy began to hate me because I…I looked like her… and I remember…she was shot down while hunting…by a soldier…he had mistaken her for something else…and then he was hanged…"

Marin had to stifle a sob.

"Don't cry…please don't cry Marin…I do so hate it when people cry for me…"

"How can you tell me not to cry when you've never told me how much you've suffered? And now this?! How can you sit there dying and be so calm about it?!"

"Because I have you here with me and I know we'll make it because we have to. We must save Hyrule. That is what is most important. Hyrule is what's most important…That is why I am calm…Because I believe that you will help me overcome this obstacle…Just help me now when I am dying. Please."

"I swear it, my princess."

The horses strained under the effort. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Ordon Spring. Sheik rode ahead and took a passage. Marin followed him and came upon a house. Sheik had already dismounted and had begun yelling:

"Aryll! Link! Help us!"

Zelda slowly slid out of her seat. The door the house had opened and a blonde haired girl stepped out. Zelda fell off the horse completely, her vision fading to darkness. The blonde haired girl placed her hand on Zelda's forehead and swore. She ordered a sky blue eyed boy to get her something. He stared at her in shock through blonde bangs.

"Go get the stuff! Move, Link! Sheik, help me carry her inside! And you, please come inside!" The girl ordered

Before she had completely lost consciousness, her analytical mind realized something. Once you lost something precious, you could never get it back. Not without a fight.

And she had lost it all.

"_Trying to battle this hysteria."_

**A/N: Er...How was that for my debut? I...uh, I'm sorry if I accidentaly mispelled a few things. I went over it so many times, but something almost always slips. The next chapter is kind of slow, what with Zelda's explenation of everything that happened, and the way they ( Link and Zelda) get to know each other in the space of 4,000 words. Yes, I know. I'm moving that part a bit faster as I want to get the adventure started already...O.o...I'm impatient. But don't worry, if anyone bothered to read it, then you won't have to wait long for updates. Not that I'll rush or anything...I know better than to force inspiration. Thanks for reading. Cheers!**


	2. Ch 1: Tears of Hate and Sorrow

**_A/N: Hey there! For all of those who added me to your author alert list, thanks a million! I enjoyed all your reviews, and some made me so giddy, I was hyper. A shout out to ZoraAngel and SorrowsEpitaph, whom I owe this second chapter to. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (I know that must sound totally corny, but it's true!) Thanks again for your reviews, and remember to tell me if I have any spelling mistakes. Those could kill me. I try to check it all myself but sometimes, since I already know what's going to happen, they just escape. Anyways, (trademark saying, I do it on purpose.) please tell me what you thought about it, and be honest. I know my work's not perfect, far from it, and I'd like to hear your constructive criticism. I won't always follow it, but it's good to know._**

**From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn**

**Chapter 1: Tears of Hate and Sorrow**

"_We never listen to the things they shout at the sky." _

Unease. Ever since that morning, he had felt it. From the moment he awoke to the moment he had fallen asleep he had been haunted by its feel. His recent bout of nightmares hadn't been helping him either. He had been guarded the whole day, watching out for the children when they had been alone. Fado had let him take the day off so he could see Sheik off early that morning. Of course, Link was more worried about his horse, Epona, than Sheik's thick skull.

But then when Sheik had arrived in the middle of the night shouting for help, well…let's just say that proved his paranoia was well stirred.

"Link, go get some herbs from the kitchen cupboards!" His sixteen-year-old sister had shouted.

He just stood stock still, watching the sick girl look up at him with tired eyes. His brain tried to work out who she was, and why she seemed so familiar…somehow. He knew he had never met her before, but already he felt a need to help her. To protect her.

"Go get the stuff! Move, Link! Sheik, help me carry her inside! And you, please come in!"

Link ran inside and knocked the stuff off Aryll's bed. She had been doing research right before Sheik had arrived with the two girls. Then he turned to the kitchen, and leaning down, he reached inside the open cupboard. His hand encircled a pack of wild herbs that Aryll had found in the mountains and he drew them out. He placed them on the table and watched as Sheik and Aryll carried the girl inside. They placed her on the bed, and he noticed with a jolt that she had lost consciousness.

"What happened?" Link asked Sheik.

"I bring horrible news. Hyrule has fallen."

"What?!" Aryll asked, "How can that be?"

She began boiling water in a pot. Then, she turned to the herbs. She withdrew a few from the bag and began mashing them together.

"The King has fallen…he was killed by a man all in black. As I was escaping, I found them both."

"…don't go...Impa…you promised…don't leave…me alone…" The girl on the bed raved.

Aryll stopped working and stared at the girl. Then, with wide eyes and a tone of voice that Link could only identify as fear, she asked:

"Who exactly is she?"

The other girl, who had been sitting faithfully beside the sick one, stood silently.

"After you save her. Please, don't discuss this now."

Aryll nodded respectfully and looked at Link.

"Grab a towel and wet it with cold water. Press it to her forehead. She's got a fever." The she turned to Sheik, "Please, go downstairs and get me some blankets to cover her up. Let's see if she'll sweat it out. I'm making the antitoxin right now."

Sheik went downstairs to get the blankets while Link moved to get a towel. He poured some cold water on it and then wrung it to get the extra water out. He carefully placed it on the sick girl's forehead, who on reflex, shivered.

"Excuse me, but your name is Aryll and his is Link, right?" The other girl asked.

"Yes." Link answered.

"Thank you." She responded quietly.

"Yours?" Aryll asked.

"Marin."

"There's no need for thanks, Marin. I'll bet you'd do the same."

Link turned to the girl on the bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a cut on her right arm.

"What did that?" He asked Marin.

"An arrow, while we were riding."

"Aryll, do you recognize the symptoms?"

"Yes, thankfully. It's an old type of poison. I think it was developed at a village near Eldin Bridge. First, it gives the victim delusions. Then the person begins to feel lightheaded and sleepy, followed by severe fever and hemorrhage. That usually symbolizes the beginning of the last stage, and that would mean death. Thankfully, she only has a fever and I know how to stop the poison from advancing. Luckily, I found the required herb this morning, or else…she would've probably died."

Marin breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the goddesses. Sheik arrived upstairs with the blankets. He placed on Zelda, murmuring something to himself.

"If she had died too…I don't know what I would've done with myself." Marin whispered.

Aryll poured the contents into a wooden cup and walked towards her.

"Help me get her up so she can drink this." She ordered.

Link lifted the girl up carefully so she was sitting up. Aryll forcefully, yet somehow gently, pried her mouth open and tipped the cup over. The girl drank a bit of it and gagged. Marin leaned over and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Zel…you'll get better if you drink this." She pleaded.

As if the girl had heard her plea, she drank it. Her process was slow but she managed to gulp it all down.

"Zelda? Her name is Zelda?" Aryll asked.

"What? The Princess?" Link asked.

Marin nodded slowly.

Both Aryll and Link stared at Zelda in shock. The said girl was raving over and over again about Impa. Marin's tears suddenly broke out and she sobbed quietly.

"It was a nightmare." She began, "It was supposed to be the best day of her life. The ball where the late king was about to announce her engagement to Zant, the prince of Twilight. At first, I thought she had been having nightmares because she was nervous. But then today, she awoke almost the whole castle with her screaming. When I went to check on her, she told me I didn't need to worry about it; that she was ok. But I should've continued pushing her about it.

"At the ball, she was acting paranoid. She analyzed everything, and I could practically hear her thoughts going a hundred miles per hour. And then…before her father…before the king was

s-stabbed in front of our eyes, she called out to him so he would watch out. And the look on her face…she looked as if she had lived it somewhere before. And then this man…this man in black ordered Zant to kill her and then…our guards came and protected her from these black monsters…I had never seen anything so frightening…they killed the guards mercilessly…

"I told my fiancé…M-Mido…to meet us at the courtyard…I grabbed her hand and led her through some secret passages in the castle…and when we got to the courtyard he was dead…Zelda's caretaker Impa…sh-she gave Zelda this shard and we were spotted…so I led them to the stables and Zant was there…Impa, she promised she would catch up but that was before the stables burst into flames…And we were left alone until we escaped Castle T-Town and we met up with him…

"And she got like this…She's lost her father and her mother…everything she's ever known…she's lost everything and still she acts brave for me even when she knows I know she's suffering on the inside."

Marin shook for all she was worth. Sheik kneeled in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Remember what she said while we were riding…? She said she didn't want you to cry. She hates it when people cry for her."

"…don't you dare, Marin…I'll not speak to you again…if you do…" Raved the girl, unknowing that they were talking about her.

Marin smiled with her eyes watery.

"I don't know what we're going to do now. She keeps saying she wants to save Hyrule, but I don't know if I can face this all over again."

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Two days later, Link watched over the princess who hadn't woken up since she had arrived. He placed his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. Thankfully, it was normal. His hand lingered on her skin, tracing the lines of her flawless face. She could have been confused for a goddess.

Out of curiosity, his left hand grabbed her right and compared the size of it with his. Her hand was smaller, not to mention smoother. Suddenly, her hand moved. Before he could drop it, she accidentally gripped his hand tighter. His face reddened slightly as she opened her pretty eyes and stared at their joined hands. Her eyes switched to his face and she blushed softly.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"No, not at all."

As if it was even her fault. And so, an awkward silence ensued.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

"Uh, you were poisoned, so Sheik and Marin brought you here. You're in Ordon Province, at the village."

She sat up straight without hesitation and her eyes wildly searched the room.

"Where's-?" Just as quickly, she cut herself off.

She let go of his hand and placed it on her neck. She drew out a necklace with a crystal shard hanging from it. Her eyes seemed to dim and she bit her lower lip. Taking a deep breath, she turned to him and asked:

"It was real, wasn't it? My father really is dead, isn't he?" She hesitated a moment before adding, "Hyrule has fallen…hasn't it?"

But deep down, he knew she knew the answers.

"Hyrule Castle has indeed fallen, as has Castle Town. The enemy is currently at siege with Kakariko and things are lurking about."

"What things?"

"Monsters…things that are evil and kill without mercy. Our archers and watchmen hold them at bay, but they are a problem."

There was a moment of silence.

"Link…?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I have caused you, and I thank you for your kindness. But I must ask of you a final favor. Can you please…keep Marin safe?"

"Your highness, what…?"

"Please, keep her out of trouble while I'm gone. There is something I must do."

"No, I cannot."

"What?"

"I cannot let you go, for your own safety."

"You don't even know what I'm thinking."

"Saving Hyrule?"

"How did you-?"

"You mumble in your sleep."

"I don't, and I'm only doing my duty."

"You do, and you're endangering your life!"

"I'd rather risk everything to deny this destruction that sit by and watch my people suffer!"

"And if you die, then what will they do?! You can't just run recklessly into a mess without a plan!"

"I'll think of one on the way."

"And if it does not work?"

"What have I to lose?!"

"No princess. What have _we_ to lose? We don't stand a chance without you and I don't plan on letting you get yourself killed!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"A man on a farm who wants to save your life."

"More like a boy…" She mumbled to herself

"Let it go. I refuse to let you leave."

She glared at him and he fidgeted under her intense eyes.

"I'm sorry. I must have sounded like a dictator."

"Don't apologize. It was my fault. I started it. I know how you feel. I want to save Hyrule as much as you do. I almost went off to fight too." He admitted.

"And you told me not to rush into things. At least I thought things through."

"In what time? You just woke up."

"What do you think I dreamt of? Butterflies and flowers?" She asked incredulously.

They glared at each other.

"Obviously, I don't have the capability to plan while I _sleep_." He retorted

Zelda's eyes softened and she looked at her hands.

"I've always had the tendency to think in my sleep. When I was younger, my dreams involved ways in which I could escape my father's steel grip. It's odd, I know. I never had any dreams involving childhood fantasies. I dreamt of real things. Things that always…happened."

"Prophetic dreams?"

"My caretaker…No. My friend, Impa, she says-" She cut herself off abruptly, "She _used to_ say I have a gift. But I've always doubted those words. It feels more like a curse because every bad thing I dream about happens."

Link stared at her, unable to understand what she was saying. Did she mean she had dreamt of Hyrule's fall and had done nothing to stop it?

"What happened on the night Hyrule fell?"

"I'm sure Marin told you all about it."

She was avoiding the subject. He knew it, and she knew it too.

"I want to hear it from you. From your point of view."

He leaned forward in his seat and stared at her with serious eyes. She stared back at them. They were wild eyes, like those of a beast.

"Not here." She said at last.

He stood and looked out the window. Aryll, Sheik, and Marin were bound to arrive anytime soon from their herb picking. Oh goddesses. Aryll would be furious. But what other reason was there for brothers to exist if not to annoy their little sisters?

"Can you even stand?" He asked, turning back to her.

She tore the covers off herself and stood up. Almost immediately, she felt dizzy and her legs gave out from under her. He caught her, holding her around the waist. She leaned heavily on him, her legs shaking. Suddenly wide awake, he was painfully aware that she was only wearing one of his sister's night gowns.

After a while, she gently pushed herself away from him. She also seemed to realize what she was wearing.

"What happened to the dress I was wearing?" She asked, looking away.

"It was dirty, so my sister washed it yesterday." He answered carefully.

Silence ensued and there seemed to be a tense air surrounding them. Link coughed and looked at the ground awkwardly.

"Where exactly is everyone?" He heard her ask.

He looked back at her.

"They're off picking herbs for you."

"Oh."

"Shall we go? I need to know what happened." He sounded almost desperate for some reason.

She looked at him, her eyes reflecting pain. For a moment, he thought she would refuse, but then she nodded.

"Lead me there."

Nodding his head slightly, he opened the front door. They slipped through quietly, and he led her towards the trees in the back of the house. Not a word transpired between them. Soon, they came upon a clearing where there was a small canoe lying in wait at the edge of the lake. Link pushed it into the water and held it while Zelda got on. He then pushed it until he was in knee deep.

He got on and began paddling up the lake. In front of him, Zelda watched as he continued at a strenuous pace without tiring. Then she looked to the side. They were moving past a rock in the very middle of the lake and past it, there was smoke rising from a point in the distance. Looking closely, she saw it was a house.

"It's the village." Link said.

"It looks nice. Peaceful." She responded and she closed her eyes.

They were simple words, but Link knew they had a different and important meaning to them. She was suffering…so much more than she let on.

Link felt a pang in his heart. There was something about this girl…Something that seemed so familiar. And the uncontrollable urge to protect her was paramount. He watched as she opened her eyes with an expression of longing on her face.

"It is. You should meet the children, though. They make everything seem exciting. Even cornfields." He tried to joke.

Zelda smiled and laughed at little.

"They do have a tendency to do that." She said.

"I could introduce you to them. They'd be impressed."

She shook her head.

"There's nothing to be impressed about. Trust me. I'm just like any other person."

Link smiled softly.

"There's more to royalty than meets the eye, it seems."

"I'm glad you think so too." She said sarcastically.

"I didn't mean anything by it."

Zelda looked at her hands for a moment, and then looked back up at him.

"I know you didn't. It's just so hard to be normal. Especially with everyone reminding you of your status every single second of your life."

He didn't know how to reply to that, so he kept quiet. His eyes strained to see past her shoulder and he saw the small piece of land he had been searching for. He made their landing quick and effortless and they almost didn't feel it when the canoe bumped into land. He got off and splashed into the water. He offered Zelda a hand.

She took it and carefully got off. Shuddering softly, reminded once again of her choice of clothing, she crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her arms. She helped Link drag the canoe safely onto land.

"Thanks." He said.

Slowly, he turned to the small shaded area below the trees and plopped right down. Zelda sat down with her legs crossed, her back to a tree, and stared at the water.

"It all began after I met the Prince of Twilight. _Zant._" She said the name as if it were poison. "He courted me for a while and fell in love with me. Now, more than ever, I wish he hadn't. I agreed to marry him. I never wanted to."

"Then why did you agree?" He asked her.

After a moment of silence, she answered.

"I've no clue. I agreed because he wasn't as false as the others. Because he actually did love me."

"A person who loves someone…they wouldn't hurt them."

She smiled grimly.

"They say you always hurt the ones you love."

Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she grabbed a handful of grass.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"_I didn't do anything…"_ Her voice was severely pained.

"What?"

"_I didn't do anything to help them…"_

His eyes widened and he realized what she was talking about. He shifted his body so he was facing her:

"You couldn't have done anything."

And she snapped. She looked at him with rage in her eyes, a rage that did not fit her personality.

"You don't understand! I knew what was going to happen and I did nothing to stop it!"

Guilt. That's what she was feeling. Immense guilt.

"I knew it would happened but I didn't say anything. I didn't do enough to stop it! I was right there, right in front of him and I did nothing! I reacted too late, and because of that he was killed! I let him get killed!"

She was fighting against an emotion inside of her. It was an inner conflict against weakness. At that moment Link understood something. The princess could not abide weakness in herself. And so he listened to her. It was the only thing he could do. It was the only thing she wanted.

"I could've prevented all of this! If I had never agreed to marry that lowlife, I could've prevented all of this! Impa wouldn't have died because of me, and the soldiers that died to protect me would still be alive…It's just like the time when mother died!"

Her self-control slipped away and finally, finally after everything that happened, she found herself crying. The weight of everything that had happened seemed to have caught up with her after all. The fact that this had happened was almost too much to bear. It crushed her, making it hard to breathe.

Link watched as she cried. Right then and there, she looked nothing like a princess. She looked like a lost little girl looking for something she had lost sight of long ago. Comfort. Any kind would suffice. He scooted nearer and placed his hand on her shoulder to draw her near. She let herself be drawn to him and cried into his shirt.

"When I was small, my mother went out hunting in the Lost Woods with a group of guards accompanying her." Her words were muffled by his shirt, "The night before she had left, I had a dream about a woman walking through the woods. She carried a bow in her hands and had only one arrow. She spotted something through the trees and knocked the arrow. She let fly and it soared past the trees, piercing the sound barrier. Then the arrow reversed itself and flew back to the woman. It pierced her right in the chest, and she was left there with the traitor arrow, dying.

"I awoke crying the next day. I kept quiet that morning and did not tell my mother about the dream. I thought that if I told her, she would be jinxed. The tiny and inconsequential fears of a child…" She gripped his shirt with both her hands let out a small cry, "That day, word came of my mother's death."

Link gripped her against him tightly.

"It wasn't your fault Zelda. None of this was your fault. Your dreams, your nightmares meant something but what's done is done and you can't change any of it. You can't change the past."

"You can only strive…to change the future." She finished for him.

He nodded his head.

"It's ok. Everything's gonna be alright." He said.

But it wasn't ok. She knew it, and he knew it too. Everything wasn't going to be okay for a long time. She cried for everyone she had lost that night. Finally, she let herself grieve.

"Cry all you want." Link said softly.

She buried her head into his shirt and sobbed.

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Link had no idea how long she cried. He held her until the tears wouldn't come. He led her to the water's edge and watched as she splashed some water on her face. Then, she turned to him and offered him a weak smile.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"Princess-"

"Please, call me Zelda."

He smiled softly and she smiled back, a genuine smile, almost contagiously.

"Zelda, you don't have to worry about stuff like that with me. I'd-"

"Link!"

They both turned to where the voice was coming from. A girl in a canoe was approaching them. She had dirty blonde hair and a small smirk on her face.

"Ilia." Link muttered under his breath.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be herding the goats with Epona. And, who's this?" She asked.

Her voice seemed to stress the word _this._ Ilia looked slightly irritated, although Link couldn't place why.

"This is Zelda.

Ilia almost dropped her paddle. Zelda bowed and said:

"Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Ilia replied graciously, "Can I do anything to help you?"

"Suck up." Link teased

Ilia turned to him and whacked him with her paddle.

"Ow!" He cried out

"Serves you right!" Ilia said, "You can at least afford to be polite in front of the princess!"

"I was being polite!"

"Please, you call that being polite? Kidnapping a princess from her bed?"

"I was only-"

"You don't have to be polite!" Zelda yelled

Link and Ilia looked at her. Zelda was staring at them with wide eyes. She was rubbing her temples.

"I don't have anything right now, so you might as well treat me like a normal person! Please, you're giving me a headache." She continued.

Ilia turned to Link and placed her hands on her hips.

"See what you did? You gave the princess a headache."

"Me? You started it."

Zelda sighed and shook her head.

"Could you please take me to see Marin?"

They both stopped in the midst of their argument.

"You mean the girl who was with Aryll? She looked desperate." Ilia said, "Come to think of it, Aryll and Sheik were both blowing smoke out of their nostrils when I last saw them."

Link cringed. Zelda raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, I wasn't supposed to take you out yet."

He closed his eyes as if awaiting another blow.

"Thank you…for taking me out of there."

His eyes shot open and he stared at the princess curiously. She was smiling softly at him. It was such a gentle smile. And somehow…somehow this girl he had only just met earned his trust with a smile. Just a smile.

"Anytime." He answered sincerely

Ilia became acutely aware of the look being shared between the two of them. They seemed more like old friends than recently met acquaintances. It was...meaningful.

"So, shall we?" She asked, looking away from them.

It seemed too private a moment to be looking into and she felt like an eavesdropper.

"Yes." Zelda replied, tearing her eyes off Link.

Link pushed the canoe into the water and helped Zelda get on. He waded in the water again and hopped on. Beside them, Ilia did the same. They paddled off towards the rock in the middle of the lake and took the left turn. Link watched as Zelda got caught up in the simplistic beauty of their village.

"It's rather enjoyable isn't it?" Ilia asked from the other canoe.

"Very much so, yes." Zelda answered, nodding her head in Ilia's direction.

"I can't wait till you meet everyone. They'll like you." She said

Zelda looked back towards the village.

"What are they like?" She asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Link said, chuckling.

They rowed into the village dock. Zelda stood and wobbled, almost falling off the canoe.

"Careful!" Link said.

He dropped the paddle and reached out for her. They lost balance and ended up falling into the lake. They sputtered up and gasped as the cold water seemed to seep into their bones.

"Link!"

His eyes widened. Aryll…Oh…She really did have bad timing.

"I can't believe you!" That was Sheik. Oh boy.

A hand roughly yanked him out of the water. He got slammed into the deck. Sheik socked him one in the face.

"Idiot! How could you do that?! She hasn't fully recovered yet!"

He socked him another. Link struck out blindly. His fist connected with something. He heard the splash of someone being knocked overboard.

"I'll kill you!"

Link stood up and glared Sheik.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard. I know I deserved it, but really, do you want to break my jaw?"

"Now I do!"

Sheik hauled himself up onto the deck and prepared to hit Link.

"Will you stop acting like children?!" Aryll yelled.

She and Ilia were helping Zelda up. As soon as she was up, Zelda folded her arms over her chest, for obvious reasons.

"I can't believe you would do this. Both of you." Ilia admonished, "We're supposed to be helping the princess, not giving her headaches!"

Link and Sheik cringed. Once Ilia got started, she wouldn't stop until her point got through.

"Let me take over from here." Aryll said to her.

Then she glared pointedly at Link.

"How could you take her out like that?" She asked, "You know as well as I do that she hasn't completely recovered. Do you know how much you scared Marin? She just about had a heart attack when we saw that both of you were missing. She thought she had been attacked!"

Link heard Zelda gasp. He clenched his fists in silent guilt.

"I'm sorry, alright? I just wanted some answers and she couldn't give them to me in there."

"That's no excuse, Link! She could've had a relapse, and you know it. That type of poison does not cure easily, and it sure as hell isn't a simple antitoxin to make!"

He winced. He had forgotten that detail.

A sudden rumbling made everyone look towards the entrance. A shrill scream was heard throughout the village. Everything was suddenly quiet. An indescribable fear began to pulsate through him. That scream…it wasn't the kind of scream that came from a simple scare. That kind of scream only came from pure unadulterated terror. And the worst part was…it sounded like…

"Marin!"

Zelda broke out into a sprint.

His breaths came slowly, almost as if time itself had begun to freeze. Everything seemed to slow down. He was acutely aware of everyone slowly coming out of their houses. He was aware of the children, Colin, Malo, Talo, and Beth, staring at the entrance with a calm dread. He was aware of the way Aryll's eyes seemed to widen, of the way Sheik and Ilia were both frozen in place by this unexpected turn of events.

But the thing he was most aware of was her. The expression on her face was one of sheer horror. One of someone who's afraid to lose something very dear. To him, Marin was just a friend.

But to her, Marin was a lifeline.

And she would do anything to keep her safe. Without fail.

And so he sprinted after her. Everything seemed to snap back into focus with him. Everyone rushed back inside to arm themselves against whatever fiend had stumbled upon their one and only safe house. If this fell, then so would they. It was the only place they had.

"Marin!" Zelda cried out desperately.

They both stumbled upon the pass that would lead them to Link's secluded home. Rushing through it, he felt the ground rumble beneath them. Almost on reflex, he spotted a sturdy stick ahead of him. He leaned down and grabbed it without breaking his stride. Even if useless against something as strong as a real sword, the stick would be better than nothing.

Another scream rung out, piercing the air like the metal _clink_ of metal blades clashing.

"Marin?!"

They came upon his house and what they saw made them both stop short. His house was entirely collapsed and was now up in flames. A giant bulblin turned to them. It held out a club and bared its teeth at them. Without a second thought, it dashed at them.

"Farore's wind!"

As if by reflex, the mokoblin was raised into the air and smashed into a tree. She sprinted past it, panting. He knew that had taken something out of her. He ran faster to catch up. They ran past the spring of the Great Spirit Ordona and unto the bridge. She had crossed to the other side before he had gotten to the middle. Someone called out to him.

"Link! Get her back!" That had to be Aryll.

He stopped and looked back.

"She's alright! Marin's-!"

The bridge suddenly snapped. He grabbed one of the planks wildly and held on while it cut downwards, plunging into the dark abyss. His fingers smashed into the wall and he cried out in pain. He managed not to let go of the plank by a miracle of the goddesses.

"Link!"

Carefully, he turned his head, his heart hammering in his throat. He spotted Aryll, Sheik, Rusl, and Marin at the top of the path, staring down at him anxiously.

"I-I'm alright!" He responded shakily.

"It's a trap, all of it!" Marin yelled, "They tied me up and tossed me in a lake! They did it to lure her out! You must save the princess!"

"We'll take care of everything, Link!" Rusl yelled, "I'll protect the village while Sheik and Aryll try to find a way around this gorge! You just hurry up and get her!"

Link nodded, and began climbing up the rope. It was strenuous work but he managed to get himself up all the way. He pushed himself over the edge and panted. Part of him wanted to lie there and rest forever, but the other pushed him to move. He dragged himself up with the help of a tree branch and sprinted after Zelda.

"Princess! Come back!"

Silence responded to his claim. He cursed silently, moving through the trees. He had been down there too long. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, pushing himself over his limit.

Out of the corner of his eye, his spotted something. He turned to it quickly. It was a piece of the princess's gown. He spotted a path up the mountains, a rocky path. Footprints had been embedded in the mud, an effect from the rain the night before. Something had led her up this path, and he had a feeling it wasn't good. He scrambled up it, battling an insurmountable urge to scream. It wasn't an urge that was a product of fear; rather it was an urge that came from desperation.

"Zelda!" He yelled.

He came upon a perilously thin path. The rocks stood out like daggers, willing to trip you up. If she had fallen from this height, there was a very strong chance she would not survive. He ran, dodging piles of rocks. The heat was now unbearable because of his wet clothing.

The path took to the right and he could finally see the ground. It was barren, and as rocky as the path he was on currently. He gasped for breath and forced himself to run faster.

"Marin!" It was a faint scream, but he was finally catching up.

"Zelda! Come back!"

He followed the path until it spread out. Suddenly, something hit him from the side. Dropping his stick, he hit the ground and his head exploded in an array of colors. Temporarily dazed, he stared out at the monster that had attacked him. It was another bulblin, bigger than the last one he had seen. This one was green and had only one tooth. It looked somewhat stupid, but it was definitely not to be underestimated.

He rolled to the side as it swung its club at him. Standing up with some difficulty, he made a mad lunge for the wooden stick. He dodged another swipe of the club and swung out at the mokoblin's head. It hit, and the mokoblin roared in rage. It swung the club blindly. Unprepared, he was hit in the head, almost loosing consciousness. He staggered around. He had to finish it now or he would be killed.

He ran towards it, catching it by surprise. He pushed it off the path and fell face forward. Raising his head with a bleeding lip, he watched it roll downhill until it hit the bottom, where it lay unmoving.

The air suddenly became cold. It was almost a foreshadowing of something ominous. He watched with growing horror as a pitch-black wall spread out towards him. His vision began to fade as his body involuntarily gave up trying to stay awake. He was suddenly covered by the dark mist, unable to do anything to stop it. Everything seemed to change before his eyes.

For a few seconds, he panted, trying to get a grip on reality. But his mind kept slipping out of focus. That was, until, a searing white pain shot throughout his whole body. He howled out in pain. Wait, since when could he…? His body changed. His nose seemed to lengthen till the point where it was almost a snout. His hands morphed and suddenly, he could hear clearer than ever before. His eyes adapted to the darkness. From far away he heard hurried footsteps. They echoed across the mountains as clear as day. Worse were the ragged gasps. And then the whisper that would've been impossible to hear had it not been for his strange transformation.

"Marin…Link…where are you?!"

Before his vision faded to darkness, he was engulfed by despair. There were so many chances that things would go wrong, and there he was, laying on the floor like an invalid. The rebellious part in him refused to give up. He would save his friends and family. He would conquer every foe in his way. He would protect the princess in her quest to save Hyrule. In **_their_** quest…

That was a promise.

_"Every night, a thousand cry."_

**_A/N: Well, that's it for now. I'll update as fast as I can and I hope to hear from you all. Hope you enjoyed it. By the way, here's a summary for what's in store in the next chapter:_**

_We continue off with Zelda and her first meeting with the Twilight Princess, Midna. After an explanation that, ironically, raises more questions than it answers, Zelda reunites with Link in lupine or wolf form (whichever you prefer calling it), Aryll, Sheik, and Marin. Things happen and some people leave. I'm thinking of ending the chapter with them heading off to the Gerudo Desert in search of the port where they may, or may not meet Nabooru. Either way, it symbolizes the start of their adventures in the Great Sea. _

**_As you can see, it's a pretty vague description, as I don't want to reveal too much. I guess you'll just have to read to find out the rest._**

**_Cheers!_**


	3. Ch 2: Enemies, Friends

**From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn**

**By: Ashe Van Hollow**

**A/N: Hey! Well, this is my next update! Thanks for all of your support! I hope you enjoy it, 'cause I enjoyed writing it! Seriously, though...-- It was exhilarating to write.**

**Chapter 2: Enemies, Friends**

"_Look towards the sun, for you have nothing left to lose."_

Despair. It was an emotion that swallowed her whole. Something without words that freezes the heart. She ran as fast as she could, her nightgown trailing behind her.

"Marin…Link…where are you?!" She screamed.

Somehow, the air had gotten terribly cold. The sun had disappeared from her view, as had every form of life. She stopped. Every frightened breath she took shown on the air, as it did in most cold places. Her eyes scanned the area around her. She spotted a rise in the very center of the barren plain. She ran towards it, with the intention of using it to search for Marin.

What she saw at the top made her stop short. Her heart beat rapidly. Her mouth was dry. She stood, alone, facing the massive wall of black that was headed straight for her. Again, a dark, mocking sense of dèjá vu enveloped her. Somewhere, somehow, she had seen this before. She knew it. She had felt this before. It felt as though she were being sealed away. Sealed away within her mind. She began shaking. But strangely, she felt calm.

She sunk down on her knees. The wind picked up and her hair flew around her face. Her eyes, naturally intense, analyzed the rapidly approaching wall. She thought of the events that had led her there. Marin having been abducted, her cries for help echoed throughout her head. But then, why hadn't she heard Marin for a while now? Why hadn't she caught up with her? Why did the screams seem…hollow? How could she have been so stupid?

It all clicked into place. Marin had never been abducted. There had never been a real invasion. Those bulblin had just been for show. It had been a trap. A trap to lure her out into the open where she was completely vulnerable and defenseless. But, why would they try to lure her out so soon?

Of course, she knew the answers.

It was simple. She was an emotional mess. Her judgment had been clouded by the events that had led her and Marin to Ordon Province. They had originally planned to take Marin, truly, but had decided it wasn't worth the bother. Because they knew she would come after Marin without fail. Because that was the last thing they could ever take from her. It was the one thing they needed to take to destroy her.

She waited for the wall to envelop her in darkness. It stopped a few feet short of the small rise she was on. Without hesitation, and lacking a fear that should've shocked her into paralysis, she stood. Trembling, yet strangely calm, she slid down the rise till she came to the bottom. She walked forward until she was at the wall's edge. It was eerie…and so very familiar.

Something black wrapped itself around her waist. Her eyes widened and she struggled to get free. It pulled her inside the wall with a strength that was not of human nature. She was tossed aside like a rag doll. It seemed almost effortless. She landed on the ground with a loud thump, her back to the bark of a tree trunk. Dazed, and definitely pained, she strained to see what had thrown her. Her vision came to a stop on a monster…A monster that resembled the ones that had attacked Hyrule.

She staggered upwards, leaning against the tree for support. What was going on here? What were those creatures in black that seemed to swallow you whole into a bottomless pit of darkness and despair?

It was darker now, much more than it had been outside. The air was also colder, and it felt to her as though she were in a frozen lake. There were strange beings lurking behind the shadows…things that she had never even dreamt of seeing before. She could feel them glaring at her back, waiting for the correct moment in which to attack. Paranoia…waves of it swept over her and everything that moved, as well as anything that didn't, suddenly became an enemy. Her instinct of self-preservation was in the extreme.

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself.

The creature in front of her, the one that had dragged her inside this strange place, seemed to grin at her sudden demonstration of fear. Almost as if it could smell it…

It lunged at her. She ducked out of the way just in time. It seemed paranoia helped you on the battle field. Except her paranoia was well deserved. She was, after all, being hunted by creatures as black as the night, not to mention the guy who killed her father, and the jerk whom was supposed to be her fiancé but decided to betray her for his never ending lust for power…Oh, and let's not forget the hundreds of soldiers that lay under their command. Yes, she was bordering on the edge of hysteria.

Twisting her body around, she instinctively swung her arm at the thing. It easily evaded her swing and its arm caught her around the neck. It yanked back, grasping the crystal shard in its hand. It then proceeded to knock her down with a swipe of its free arm. Her head hit a rock. A sharp ringing resounded in her head. The shadow being began to move away from her. It made a sound from the depths of its throat. The other creatures, which had been hiding in the shadows, began to come out. They approached her with a growing sense of bloodlust.

Trying to regain her senses, she rolled over and tried to push herself up. Her body felt weak and feverish, but her mind was on other things. That thing had taken the last thing her caretaker had given her. It had taken the one thing that might stand between Zant and his permanent dominion over Hyrule. She was not going to let her only chance walk away that easily.

She pushed herself up with her right hand and sprinted after it. Recklessly, she jumped on its back. It reared back, caught off guard. She reached for the crystal shard. Her hand circled around it and she almost smiled. But then she was tossed off its back, the shadow being using the shard as a method to propel her. She was hauled over its head and unto the ground in front of it. But she refused to let go. Her eyes glared at its face, and she had the feeling it wasn't laughing now.

She began chanting softly.

"Great Goddess of Fire and Power, Din, aid me in my quest. In my hour of need, I ask for your assistance. Lend me your wrath, your guidance is the only thing this instance."

As if sensing the danger, it began shaking its hand. She was tossed from side to side, but did not let go. The shard dug into the palm of her hand and she felt the soft trickle of blood spill down her arm.

"Oh Great Goddess Din! Lend me your power in my time of need! Heed my words!"

The dangerous glint in her eyes was enough to warn it. It smashed her down onto the floor. She cried out in pain, but held on weakly. It knew that with another shake she would be finished. And so it prepared to shake her off. She raised her head defiantly.

"Wrath of Din!"

An explosion of fire and light overtook them both and she was thrown roughly to the side. Again, she was smashed against the side of a tree trunk. Her head pounded in intense pain. But she clutched the crystal shard in her hands victoriously. When she opened her eyes, all traces of the monster were gone. Small drops of liquid began falling down upon her. Pretty soon, the rainfall was blinding.

Rumbling. Her ears picked up the sound from a distance. It sounded as if someone, or something, was making the sound from the pits of their throat. It was soft at first, but then it became a full fledged growl. She was dazed, but not enough to not notice that there were multiple growls. They sounded like wolfos. And they were trying to surround her. There was no way she could take on that many.

She propelled herself forward with her hands and dashed in the direction from which there came no growling.

_Faster,_ She urged herself, _Faster!_

Loud roars of outrage resounded behind her. Small, quick footfalls began behind her. She panted in exhaustion. She was pushing herself over her limit, and she knew it. The adrenaline was beginning to fade. Her body screamed for her to stop and lie down to rest; to put her head down and sleep forever. She felt hot, despite the cold weather.

Something snapped at her heel. She felt the grazing of a set of sharp teeth as they barely missed their target. She looked back over her shoulder, ignoring her gut instinct. Four pitch black wolfos ran behind her. The one that had grazed her heel bared its teeth and growled loudly. She gave a frightened cry as another lunged at her. She jumped forward, avoiding its jaws. For the moment.

She looked forward again. They were headed straight for a mountain pass. Every breath she took burned, each time sounding more and more like the wheeze of an old woman having a heart attack. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed something else running beside them. Whatever it was stayed on her right and ran up the mountain instead of following her into the pass. She stumbled and almost fell, tripping over a rock. She pushed herself harder, the wolfos snapping at her heels.

Her gaze desperately searched for a safe haven. Her stomach filled with dread. There was no place to hide. Only a wall that blocked the passage. Trying to think of a solution, she found only two. Either melt the rock with fire or climb over it. The bad things about option A were that it was raining and she didn't have any time. The bad thing about option B was that she was dying from exhaustion. Also, the fact that there was barely any space between the wolfos and her head made it very hard to climb a rock wall. But it was her only choice. And so, she waited until the proper time to spring into action.

She jumped. She landed on the wall, banging her knees into pure rock. She gasped for breath, struggling to move. Trembling with effort, she pushed herself up with her right foot. She climbed the rock face as fast as she could. Almost at the top and listening to the frustrated howls of the wolfos below her, her left foot slipped. She began to slide down, but she managed to stop herself by getting hold of a boulder that was firmly lodged in the wall. And jaws clamped around her left ankle. She cried out in pain. They dragged her down. She grabbed a rock and violently slammed the wolfos in the head with it. It yelped and let go, falling on top of another that had been behind it. They both rolled down to the bottom, unmoving.

She hauled herself over the top, only to find herself face to face with a land slide. She looked at her ankle, and then back at the last two approaching wolfos. Gritting her teeth, she placed her right foot on a rock, and then lowered her left on another. The rock let go and she was sent tumbling down the slide. Rolling down a rocky mountain. Not fun.

She landed with a thwack at the bottom. Dust filled her nostrils, and something warm trickled down her right temple, the complete opposite of the cold rain. She forced herself up and began limping towards the exit. The pass let out into another plain, this one filled with naught but trees and boulders. She was sick of boulders.

"What…?" She whispered incredulously to herself, "Twilight? But it was…morning."

Suddenly, the fact that it was now twilight instead of its proper time became the least of her worries. Two shadows flew over her head and landed right in front of her. Two pairs of blue eyes glared at her. Behind her, the growling began anew. It had been a pack. She had neglected to consider that maybe there had been more. Her carelessness never ceased to amaze her and she had the sudden and powerful urge to begin crying. Of course there had to be more. Of course they wouldn't all come after her the same way. These were master hunters, and she was playing their game now.

She would never be able to outrun them. They knew it. She did too.

She was dizzy. Her head was pounding and her vision was getting blurrier by the second. She slid down unto her knees. The rain pounded against her. And that's what gave her the idea.

"Nayru, goddess of wisdom, grant me thy strength." It was a quiet and desperate whisper, drowned out by the rain. "Great goddess Nayru! I beseech thee!"

As if by supernatural force, the rain drops began to stop just before they hit the ground. The wolfos growled in fear. The water collected and slowly began to circle around.

"Repth of Nayru!"

The water seemed to come to life and it shot out at the unsuspecting wolfos. It was almost a tidal wave, its force killing the wolfos instantly.

"I should've thought of that before…"

Something warm and wet trickled down her nostrils. Her free hand reached up to touch her nose. She had been warned about this. About how the force of a spell could be dangerous for a mage or wizard. She knew the casting of the spell was not the problem. It was maintaining the concentration and force of the spell that was dangerous. If she had been more reckless, she would've probably gotten more than just a nosebleed.

Already she was feeling faint from blood loss. It wasn't just her nose; it was her bitten ankle and the side of her head. A dull ache in her hand reminded her of the shard. She hadn't released the pressure on it, in fear of losing it. But now, she let it drop to the floor, tainted with her blood. It was wiped off effortlessly by the rain.

She slumped forward, unable to continue any farther. She was calmly aware of the fact that she would probably die there. It would take weeks for people to find her. She hid the shard within her clothing.

"Zelda!"

It was a familiar voice, but at the same time, completely unknown.

"What's going on?! Why has it come again?!"

She was fading away, farther and farther into darkness. Cold hands turned her over, and through the darkness she could see pale blue skin. It vaguely reminded her of Zant's skin. But the skin was soft, too soft to be that of a man's.

"What happened to you?! Answer me!"

Yes, the person was definitely female. Zelda struggled to look up. Struggling. She was always struggling. She let her head tilt forward, closing her eyes. The girl shook her by the shoulders.

"Where's Link?! Has he changed too?!"

Changed? What was she talking about? Why did this strange woman seem to know her?

"Who…who are you?" She mumbled.

Then everything was gone.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

_She stood in darkness. Around her, there was nothing. There were only emotions. Feelings of disappointment. Feelings of alienation. Feelings of sadness. A feeling of **expectation.**_

"_Tell me princess, what will happen now?"_

_Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Even then, her answer was clear._

"_Thy insolence is astounding. The balance has been broken. Now thou must fix it. Thou must know how! Thou must know where to search!"_

_Again she tried to speak. Yet again, her meaning was clear._

"_Thou must know! Tell me what thou art looking for! Tell me what thou must find!"_

_There was a scream building up inside her throat. But still, she managed to answer without saying anything. Something surrounded her, crushing the air out of her lungs. It shook her._

"_Then thou art condemned to suffer for the rest of thy life! Dost the lives of thousands matter naught to thee?! They will die if thou dost not act! Remember, Zelda! Thou must remember! What did **she** do?!"_

"_**I don't know!" **_

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Someone was shaking her. Whoever it was had a steel grip.

"I don't know!"

Zelda struck out blindly. Her fist connected with something and whoever she hit cried out in dismay. She was released, and her head banged against the floor. She opened her eyes, her hands stretching out around her, searching for something familiar. Her hands felt the wooden planks of a cabin. Gasping confusedly, she rose up to a sitting position. Alarm rung out through her body. Who had she been speaking to? She checked her neck line and found the crystal shard. Sure it was safe, she place it back inside.

Some warm liquid spilled through the finger of her right hand. Bewildered, she looked at her hand. She was bleeding through a bandage. A dull ache began in her head. She was inside a small cabin. It was mostly empty, except for the bedroll she was lying in at the corner of the room. Her eyes fell upon the stranger. A girl. That's right. She had seen a girl earlier.

"Are you alright?!" She asked, alarmed. She was unaware of the fact that she had been the one who had caused the girl her misfortune.

She rose to her feet and immediately collapsed. Her left ankle flashed with searing white hot pain. She couldn't help the slight whimper that escaped her. The stranger turned to her, her face shining with concern. Dazed by the pain, Zelda noticed that the girl's face was familiar. The stranger was beautiful. Somehow, Zelda thought she had seen her before. Somewhere. But she hadn't. She was sure of that. So why did she already trust this person with her life?

"What are you thinking?! No, wait. You aren't thinking at all, are you Zelda? Here, let me help you."

The stranger offered Zelda her hand. She backed away as far as she could without hurting her leg.

"How do you know my name?" She asked.

A weird little smile overtook the girl's face, that of a person in denial.

"Quit the joke Zelda. I haven't been away that long."

"What are you talking about?"

The genuine look of confusion on her face must've shown the stranger she wasn't lying. A crestfallen expression overtook her face.

"How could you have forgotten me so easily?" It came as a whisper.

A pang, so hard that it might've been a club to the face, struck Zelda's heart. She impulsively took the older girl's hand.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You're strangely familiar to me, and you definitely seem to know me, but I…I'm…"

She fought to say the words, to say the truth. But in the end, was it really?

"I'm sure I don't know you." She finished hesitantly.

"How can you not know me? It's only been a year!" The girl began to sound angry.

Zelda winced at the girl's tone but did not back off.

"I…"

"It's me, Zel! Me! Midna! How can you not remember?! It was a year ago!"

"I don't know you!" She snapped.

The name, though…it brought back something unexpected.

A vision of a pale blue skinned girl with red hair and eyes, standing in the middle of two people. She wore a black cape and her eyes seemed to warn you of her short temper. One, a male, wore a green tunic and had blonde hair and blue eyes that screamed courage. He stood tall, a handsome sight for any girl. And the last figure, who seemed to hold herself with a much more regal air than the two before her, wore a dress with the insignia of the triforce. She had blonde hair in a braid and also had blue eyes, except hers pierced your soul with the wisdom of an eternity.

The boy and the girl with the piercing eyes seemed to emit a golden glow, a radiation of power. The girl in the middle emitted a strange darkness that seemed wane as it came in contact with the light of the other two. The three of them stood over the body of a man with a golden glow that began to fade. The man wore black and his hair was red. A sword stuck out of him. It seemed to maintain a powerful glow, a glow that seemed to repel the evil that this man had somehow cast upon the land. She knew that immediately.

And then she was back, staring into the eyes of the girl named Midna.

"Who are you? Where do you come from? Why do you seem so familiar?!"

"You truly don't remember?"

"I have never met you!"

"How can you not have met me?" Midna asked, her voice cracking slightly. "We battled Ganondorf side by side a year ago! We battled Zant with Link, and we saved Hyrule!"

"Hyrule has not been under siege for five hundred years to date!" Zelda snapped, "How can what you say be when nothing has happened to the land of Hyrule in all that time?!"

For a moment, there was a heavy silence. Midna seemed to be struggling with something.

"How can that be? I…"

"You say you know me, and for reasons I don't understand, I believe you! Something about you seems familiar, but I don't know what! I know I've never met you before, but I can't escape the feeling that I_have_!"

Midna suddenly took her by the shoulders, as if something had suddenly clicked.

"I need you to listen. My name is Midna, and I am the Queen of Twilight."

A gasp tore out from Zelda's throat.

"Then you're my enemy!"

Shock flitted through Midna's face.

"How could I be your enemy?!"

"Don't pretend that you don't know! Zant!" She growled.

Pushing herself away from Midna, she stood and limped towards the door. She ripped it open and stumbled through it. Behind her, Midna cursed. She ran after Zelda, who was tearing across the plain. It was ridiculously fast for someone who had a hurt leg. Then again, Zelda had always been a fast runner. Not knowing to where she was headed, Zelda ran as fast as she could through a pass. She came upon a clearing and suddenly, she tripped on something. It was enough for Midna to finally catch up to her. But what she saw made her stop short.

It was a wolf.

The wolf had strange markings on its forehead, and it wore earrings. A tug pulled at her heart and she, unable to stop herself or understand exactly why she did it, passed a hand through its soft fur.

"Link…" She head Midna gasp beside her.

Almost immediately, she snapped out of her trance. Alarmed, she turned to look at Midna, almost daring to believe what she had just said.

"What do you mean?"

"Will you listen to me?"

She hesitated for a second before answering.

"Yes."

Midna turned to her.

"Listen well, Zelda. If what I believe is true, then you are in more danger than I could've predicted. A year ago, I destroyed a Mirror completely. I did something only the rightful ruler of Twilight could ever do. This Mirror is the one thing that connects your world to ours. And once destroyed, it can never be rebuilt."

"Your world to ours?"

"The world of darkness and the world of light."

"Just like light and shadow…" Zelda muttered, "One cannot exist without the other."

Midna nodded.

"A week ago, I found the exact same Mirror I had destroyed. That was when I knew something was wrong. I stepped through it, but the minute I emerged in this world, the Mirror shattered into pieces. Just like before..."

"Before?"

"You said a name earlier."

"Zant."

"I knew him. I thought he was dead."

Zelda felt the numbness creep over her. What the hell was going on?

"But I was engaged to him…how could he have been dead?"

"I have a feeling that someone brought him back."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure. But something is indeed amiss. This cannot be happening again…"

"Again?"

"We have to change Link back."

"Change him back?"

"Come on. We have to get rid of this Twilight."

"Twilight?"

"Move it Zelda. We must go to Faron Spring." Midna said, scooping the wolf up in her arms as if it were a toy.

Zelda clutched at her head.

"I need some answers!" She screamed.

Startled out of her wits, Midna turned to her. She had never seen the princess act like this.

"What are you talking about?! What is Twilight?! What happened here that I don't know about?! Why do you act like you know Link and I?! Why is he a wolf?!"

"Zelda, I promise I'll explain everything later! Now, we have to focus on changing Link back and taking out the Twilight. Deal?"

"No!" She cried, "I need to know now!"

Zelda was on the verge of breakdown. So many things were happening so fast…it was overwhelming.

"I understand your need for answers Zelda. It is very much like my own. But right now, I need you to help me. I need you to be strong right now. And I need you to think."

Midna walked forward, expecting Zelda to move forward with her. Zelda stared at her hands. It was so hard to believe that all of this was happening.

"Midna…why is this happening to us?"

Her voice was a reflection of what she was feeling. It cracked, shattered by the pain that pulsated throughout her whole body. It was a mix of intense emotions. A mix of sorrow, of shock, of pain, but most of all…it was a mix of an emotion that she had never felt before. Loathing. And it pulsated with an intensity that could rival a demon from the fiery pits of hell.

"I don't know. Please, follow me." Her words were kind, but her voice was desperate.

And so Zelda moved after her. She followed her through the pass and into the trees, which spread out as far as the eyes could see. It wasn't long before they came upon a spring next to a road. Zelda froze.

Three people stood at the edge of the spring. Two girls and one boy. One of the girls had brown hair and honey colored eyes. The other had blonde hair and blue eyes. They were both wearing simple village clothes. The boy, however, had red eyes slightly covered by his blonde bangs. He wore strange clothes that reminded Zelda painfully of her caretaker, Impa. She had worn Sheikah clothes too.

She cried out to them.

"Marin, Sheik, Aryll!"

She ran forward, reaching out to touch Marin's shoulder. With a spectral hiss, her hand went straight through. Zelda froze in horror.

Marin shuddered.

"Everything alright?" Sheik asked.

"Yes…it's just that for a second there, I could've sworn I felt Zelda…"

Aryll scrunched up her eyebrows.

"That's probably just you worrying about her well being." She answered.

Marin nodded.

"Yes, you're right…"

Her eyes were wide. Her breaths were shaky.

"Marin, I'm right here…" She said, faintly.

Marin, Sheik, and Aryll stood up and began gathering their things. Slowly, they began to walk away from her, heading up into the mouth of a cave not far from there.

"I'm right here!" Zelda cried out, desperately.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Desolately, she turned to look at Midna.

"They cannot see or hear you." Midna said.

"_That is the fate of those doomed to Twilight."_

It was a godly sort of voice, the sort that you cannot help but be attracted to. A voice that you cannot ignore.

Both Zelda and Midna turned to the spring. Almost immediately, Zelda knew it was the Great Spirit, Faron.

"_Midna, ruler of Twilight. What is thy wish?"_

"To return Hyrule to its proper order. To return Link to his proper form." Midna said.

"_The power I have can only grant this for a short period of time. I have a warning for thee. If thou dost not return Hyrule to normal before the time is up, it shall stay this way forever. Dost thou still wish to do this?" _

Almost as if looking for reassurance, Midna turned to Zelda. They both knew there was much at stake. If they made the wrong move, Hyrule would surely fall.

"What would we have to do, were I to wish that?" Midna asked.

"_Thou would have the need to travel across a great distance to the great desert and from there across the sea, to the Tower of the Gods." _

"In search of what?" Zelda asked suddenly. "What must I search for?"

The spirit Faron, in the form of a monkey, stared down at her with knowing eyes. Beside her, Midna listened to the exchange, memorizing every word as if collecting data.

"_Thou art searching for something. Thou art searching with all thy heart, although thou dost not know what the object is. It is the reason for why thou dost not sleep at night. Because it is not complete. It calls out for thee…and thou can feel it."_

Deep within Zelda, something stirred. Her heart pounded heavily inside her.

"What is it? What is it that I am searching for?" She asked anxiously.

"_Dost thou wish for this exchange?" _It asked, turning to Midna.

"Do not ignore me!" Zelda said; her tone of voice was desperate.

The spirit Faron turned back to her.

"_Tell me. Who art thou?"_

"My name is Zelda. I am the Princess of Hyrule."

"_No. Thou art not that."_

"What?"

"_Thou art not that. Thou art the Princess of Destiny. Thou art the chosen."_

"What is this 'Princess of Destiny' you keep speaking of?!"

Irritation laced the edges of her voice. So she was being disrespectful towards a powerful entity that could kill her without raising an arm. So what? She needed answers and it was about time people quit leaving her out in the dark.

"_It is thy fate."_

"Fate? It's my fate to suffer and lose everything I care for?! The fate of Hyrule is for its people to suffer because of the ambition of one man?!"

"_That is indeed its fate, lest you intervene. Thou art the Princess of Destiny. Thou cannot refuse it."_

"And if I said I do not believe in fate?"

"_Then in denial thou art to be for the rest of thy life. Every second spent hesitating symbolizes the destruction of Hyrule. Now I shall ask this only once more. Dost thou still wish for this exchange?"_

"Yes." Midna said.

Suddenly, Midna disappeared and left behind Link. A blast of light blinded Zelda and she could see nothing but white.

"What am I searching for?! Tell me at least that!"

"_For the one thing that will complete you."_

Its voice resounded throughout the forest as easily as if it were a cave. She blinked, blinded by the light. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it faded. The forest was back to normal. Light filtered through the trees and the sun shone high above the sky. But what had it meant?

Beside her, Link was back to normal. He was bleeding in several places. Kneeling down on her good leg, she looked around for Midna.

"Midna, where are you?!" She called out.

From under her, Midna appeared. Startled out of her wits, Zelda fell back and splashed into the water. It stung at the cuts in her hand and ankle, and she hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, but a blast of that light would've killed me." Midna said.

Zelda clutched at her chest, trying to slow down her beating heart.

"It's okay, but you could've given me a warning."

"Zelda! Link!"

Alarmed voices and footsteps advanced towards them. Zelda looked back. Marin, Aryll, and Sheik ran to them. They stopped in front of them and Link, their eyes looking over their wounds. But most of all, their eyes lingered on Midna, who shifted uncomfortably.

Zelda couldn't bring herself to meet their eyes. Somehow, looking in the eyes of someone who couldn't see or hear you five minutes ago was awkward.

"What happened? Where were you?" Aryll asked.

"I thought Marin was…but she hadn't. I realized that too late into the mountains."

"Then what?" Sheik prodded.

"I was attacked by wolfos. I used too much magic, and I lost consciousness."

"I found her by an old mountain passage and brought her to my cabin." Midna continued, "After I bandaged her, she insisted on going back, and we found him like this."

As if Link had heard, he began to shift. Zelda watched as he opened his blue eyes, and dazedly stared up at her. Then, almost as if a spell had been broken, he sat up straight, fast enough to startle all of them.

"Zelda! What…what….?" He asked, obviously confused.

He touched his face, and closed his eyes, as if remembering something unpleasant.

"We found you by the side of a mountain, unconscious." Zelda offered.

Then, his eyes opened and rested upon Midna. A weird look passed over his face. As if he was trying to remember something, but couldn't.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Zelda watched as Midna seemed to struggle with herself, just as she had with her. Then, she smiled and said:

"I'm Midna. I helped Zelda find her way back."

Zelda stood up. Now was as good a time as ever to tell them her plans.

"I have decided to go to the Gerudo Desert, and from there, sail across the Great Sea to the Tower of the Gods."

"What?" Link asked, confused at the turn of events.

"What will you do there?" Sheik asked.

"Was it a dream?" Marin asked, speaking for the first time since they had met up.

She had a worried look plastered upon her face. She looked tired.

"Yes. It was. I must go to the Tower. It is the only way to save Hyrule. I…will not ask you to accompany me. In fact, you would do well do stay."

Zelda wore a grim expression on her face. Marin looked to the ground.

"I am sorry princess…I do not wish to go."

Zelda nodded. Even though it hurt slightly, she had been expecting this. She did not want Marin to get hurt, but either way, she would still be worrying for her safety.

"That's alright. Just promise me one thing."

Marin looked up.

"That you'll take care-" Her voice cracked. Taking a step towards Marin, she hugged her.

It took all her strength not to cry.

"Take care of yourself." She managed to finish.

"And you as well. This may very well be the last time we see each other. I don't want that, so please, watch your back."

Marin was indeed crying.

"I will." Then turning to Sheik, she said, "I have one last favor to ask of you as well."

"Yes, princess?" He asked.

"Please escort her back safely."

Reluctantly, Sheik nodded.

"I'll be going with you, princess." Link said.

His eyes flashed determinately in the sunlight. Aryll stepped forth as well.

"As will I. Wherever he goes, I go. He knows that already."

"I cannot allow you to accompany me." Zelda argued. "It's too dangerous!"

"Zelda, I believe they have made up their minds." Midna said.

Zelda sighed. That was undoubtedly true.

"Just be careful." Sheik said.

Standing, the four of them nodded. They all looked back Sheik and Marin as they walked away through the trees. They looked back, long after the two of them had disappeared from view. Then, remembering the time limit and the warning from the Great Spirit Faron, Zelda turned towards the horizon. This would be the real start. The start of their adventures. It would be very difficult, she knew. And how they would sail across the ocean was another matter. Even more so, how they would travel across Hyrule without being noticed…

But she refused to sink into despair. For her people, for her friends, and for Hyrule, she would not sink into despair. She would prevail with the help of her friends. And out the corner of her eye, she saw Link looking at her. She turned to him, and nodded. He nodded back, and that was enough to give her courage. It was enough to give her strength.

Because she had them by her side.

"_Look towards the sun, for you are not alone."_

**A/N: That's it for this chapter. Hope you liked it. By the way, here's a...shall we say, summary of what MIGHT happen in the next chapter:**

_Link, Zelda, Midna, and Aryll set out towards the Gerudo Desert. On the way, though, they meet a caravan under attack. A girl named Romani, and her sister, Cremia, give them food and clothing, something Zelda is in need of. They continue on their way, and reach Lanayru Bridge, crossing it. They find the passage that leads to the desert. They meet up with quite a bit of trouble, in other words a heist from the Gerudo. Because of this, they are taken to the port to the Gerudo headquarters. Here, they escape and Zelda has a flashback. It takes her to a ship that may have belonged to her father. When they get under way, though, they meet up with a pirate who's spunk gets her into more trouble than not._

**That's pretty much what I'm going for. Thanks for your support!**

**Cheers!**


	4. Ch 3: A Scattered Dream

**From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn**

**By: Ashe Van Hollow**

**A/N: My fourth chapter is up! I hope you like this! Thanks to all my reviewers for their support! I hope you continue supporting me throughout the rest of this story! Thanks for everything! I owe it all to you.**

**Chapter 3: A Scattered Dream**

"_Flashes of something meant to be…"_

Confusion. It ruled over his soul, forcing him into a spiral of doubt. What had really happened back there? He remembered having been engulfed by darkness…He remembered having been changed. What had he turned into? He felt different. Wilder. And it scared him. Somehow, he had changed. Somehow, something had turned him back. He knew it. Someone had helped him, someone who knew how to break whatever curse had been upon him. And he had a hunch those people were walking beside him.

He could tell it had been her because of the way she seemed to walk stiffly, her steps cautious. Her eyes flickered from side to side, and then came to rest on the sky. The most peculiar expression came upon her face, and as quick as it had appeared, it was gone. He knew she was pondering, and he would have a talk with her as soon as he had an opportunity. Yes. She owed him an explanation. And he wasn't going to buy anything other than the truth. He was not going to buy that she had been attacked by only some wolfos. The cut on her hand and her head proved otherwise.

And the other girl…he felt as though he knew her, and had known her for a very long time, just like Zelda. He already trusted her with his life, for reasons he did not know. He knew something had transpired between her and Zelda, as they exchanged meaningful glances every few minutes. It was almost as if they were hiding something. Protecting a secret of some kind. He intended to figure out exactly what they were hiding, and why.

Beside him, Aryll munched at some carrots that she had carried in her bag. Link stared at her for a few seconds, reveling on how much she looked like their mother. Not that he remembered her. He only had a picture, which was, as the rest of his life, being left behind in a trail of dust and termites. The only things he had ever known where in that village. Even Sheik was being left behind, although he would probably come after them. But now, he was just grateful to have something to remind him of home. His little sister.

"We should take a rest." Midna said. "Just for ten minutes, as we're almost out of Faron Woods. There's a spring over there by the road, if anyone wants to drink water."

Link raised an eyebrow at her. She didn't seem to belong in Hyrule, but she certainly knew a lot about its geography. She was a capable traveler. Of that he was sure.

"How did you know?" Aryll asked, kneeling down at the edge of the spring.

Zelda cupped some water with her hands and drunk. Then, she splashed some water into her face.

"Well, let's just say I've traveled a lot." She answered, moving away to sit at the shade of the trees.

"I'll believe that." Zelda said. "You seem to know your stuff. How is it that you've come to know so much about Hyrule?"

He could feel the tension between them. Like a friction. He knew not why it was there. He was just acutely aware of the strange glances strung between them.

"I've traveled here before." Was Midna's simple reply.

Zelda's eyes flickered to the ground.

"I'm going to go look around. I'll be back soon." Zelda murmured.

"Be careful…"

He could tell almost immediately that both girls were hurting. There was something strange about the way Zelda had suddenly left. And Midna just stared at her hands with a desolate expression on her face.

"Link, go get Zelda..." Aryll muttered. "I have to talk to Midna. Alone. There's something going on here…"

So she had caught on too. He left through the trees, following Zelda. He found her under a vast tree, staring somberly at something in her hands. He came up behind her, making sure to walk quietly.

"I can still hear you…"

Well, so much for being stealthy.

"What's wrong?" He asked her softly.

She turned around to face him, with something in her hands. It was a crystal shard, tainted with something. It looked like blood. He looked at the bandage in her hand. Then he looked up at her face. She was staring at the thing with an expression of loathing. Her hair partially covered up her head bandage. But it was still an alarming sight.

"Zelda, what happened out there?" He asked her, "What really happened?"

_What did I turn into?_

"Something happened out here while you were unconscious." She began slowly, "It was as if twilight had invaded morning."

"The black wall…" He breathed.

"Something attacked me before the wolfos. It attacked me inside the Twilight."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. But I think Midna does. Around her, don't you feel anything?"

Her face showed conflicted emotions. He stared at her, puzzled by her question.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed and nibbled on her lower lip slightly. It was something, he noticed, that she did when she was nervous.

"Like you've met her somewhere before, but can't remember where. And the way she knows these things…it's almost like she was here before. And the way she acted when I first met her…she looked as if she knew me. She even acted that way, and it seemed way too real to be just an act. And what's worse…I think she did know me…I don't know how, or even why I feel this way. It just is. My gut instinct tells me to trust her, but my logical mind tells me to give her time. Because I've not met her before."

He knew. He knew exactly how she felt.

"I have felt that way…"

"Link, what scares me is that she said she helped us. She said she helped you and me defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule." Her voice was small, and he could barely hear it.

"What? Ganondorf?"

"I don't know who he is either. She said he tossed Hyrule into shadow and chaos, and that we saved it. She said it was less than a year ago…"

"But how can that be? There hasn't been…" He began.

"A war in Hyrule for about 500 years." She finished, "I'm worried, Link. I think there may be more to this than meets the eye."

A clang resounded in his ears. Shrill screams resounded throughout the forest.

"Link!" That was Aryll's voice. It had to be.

He whipped his face in the direction of the screams. He sprinted through the forest. Beside him, Zelda kept up with an odd sprint due to her leg. How could she still move so fast?

"Aryll!" He shouted.

"Midna!" Zelda shouted.

They hoped over a fallen log and dashed through the bushes that hid the spring from view. A caravan was under attack by a large group of bulblin. Aryll struck one in the head and knocked it back, while Midna jabbed another with a short staff. Where had that come from?

"Link!" Zelda cried beside him.

He nodded. He picked up the nearest branch he could find and hacked at a bulblin. It dropped its weapon and turned to flee. Midna raised her weapon and it ran smack into it, dropping on its back, dazed. Two girls whom he had never seen before held off another bulblin at bay, tossing rocks at it. A sudden rumbling interrupted the fray. They looked up the road and gasped.

Four bulblin rode wild boars. They knocked flaming arrows and let fly. Zelda ducked as an arrow whizzed over her head, missing her by mere inches. Link batted an arrow away with his stick and grabbed the sharpest rock he could find. He aimed, and tossed the rock at the nearest bulblin rider. It hit the boar in the eye and it went out of control, crashing into the nearby tree. The impact sent the bulblin flying and crash landing on the hard ground. But there were still three other riders.

"Leave this to me." Zelda stated.

She began to walk forward to stand at the front of the caravan. Midna took her by the arm.

"If you do this so soon, you'll get more than just a nosebleed!" Midna warned.

Zelda whirled around to face her.

"What would you do in my stead?!" She asked, angrily.

Midna looked away.

"The same as you…" She whispered.

Zelda turned to face riders again and closed her eyes. Link grabbed the fallen bulblin's weapon and then spun around to face another. He blocked its wild swing and stabbed it swiftly.

"Farore, thou hast aided me in the past. Now please, I beg of thee. Lend me thy aid!"

He watched as she whirled her arms around from right to left. She rose her right foot and stepped back across her left, making an x. She placed the palm of her hand flat in front of her, as if leaning on an invisible wall. The wind seemed to respond to this, her clothes whirling around her body because of its force. She opened her eyes. They flashed a darker blue, seemingly glowing. They were glinting dangerously.

"Whip of Torment!"

A loud snap resounded all around them. The ground beneath the riders suddenly exploded. They were tossed into the air, and then pummeled into the ground by some invisible force. He gaped in amazement. Magic could do that much?

Zelda turned around. She smiled.

"Is everyone alright?" She asked.

"Yes. No one's wounded." Midna said. "Are you feeling well?"

Zelda's smile grew a little bigger. Her face was horribly pale. And the way she was smiling was beginning to scare him. It was the smile of a masochist.

"I'm fine."

He spotted blood beginning to trickle down her nose.

"Zelda, you're bleeding." He said, rushing forward.

She raised her hand and touched the trickle of blood. Still smiling, she turned to Midna.

"Then again…maybe not…"

She fell forward. He caught her just in time. Turning her over, he realized she had fainted.

"Well, I warned her…" Midna said, frowning. Under her breath, she added, "That selfless, stubborn mule…"

Link chuckled. He had also noticed the stubborn and resistant streak in the princesses' behavior.

"You could get hanged for that, you know?" He teased.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Midna replied, her face breaking out into a small grin.

"Will she be alright?" The question came from the oldest looking girl.

"Yes, she'll be fine." Midna said, "She just fainted. The spell took a lot out of her."

She leaned down and placed Zelda's head in her lap. Chanting something softly, she placed the palm of her hand on Zelda's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Link asked.

"It's a healing spell. The only one I know. I'm of little use as a healer." Midna replied.

Link watched as the color in Zelda's face slowly returned to normal. Aryll surveyed the work carefully, nodding with approval. She smiled at Midna, and then returned to the other two girls.

"What's your name? Do you need any help with anything?" Aryll asked.

"My name is Cremia. This is my little sister, Romani." The girl responded.

"As in, Romani ranch?" Aryll asked, suddenly enthusiastic.

"Yes." The little girl, Romani, responded.

"Wow! I'm a huge fan of your milk!"

Link groaned inwardly. There she went again.

"We can get you some supplies and some clothes." Romani said.

"No, we can't possibly accept that." Midna replied, still checking on Zelda.

"It's the least we could do. You saved our lives." Cremia said, ducking inside the caravan. "Besides, we have spares. It's one of the good things of distributing milk worldwide. You get free stuff."

Aryll laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that is a good thing."

"Just be careful. Fame has its bad side, just like it has its good side. This, just now, was an example of its bad side." Midna said.

"Yes. I do believe you're right." Cremia agreed from within the caravan, "Will a pack do? That girl is poorly clothed. She's barely covered. She needs something with more cloth."

Midna sniggered at this. She looked at Link, who turned away and began counting the leaves on the trees.

"This'll do. I've included some salted meat in there, and fruit and vegetables." Cremia said, emerging from the caravan. "The milk you'll have to drink soon, lest it'll spoil, but you've plenty of water in here."

Link offered her his hand.

"Thank you." He said, shaking her hand.

"Thank _you_ for saving us." Cremia said, smiling. "It's no problem at all after what you did."

Romani mounted the caravan while Cremia sat in the front and took the reigns in her hands. Waving, she urged the horses forward. Their hooves kicked up dust and left it in their wake. For a moment, Link was reminded of his horse, Epona, and the mare that had carried the princess and Marin to Ordon Province. Both were beautiful horses, and strong runners. He had no doubt they had come from Lon Lon Ranch, one of the best horse ranches in all Hyrule.

He and Aryll waved back and watched as the caravan disappeared from view. Then, they both turned to Midna and the princess.

"Oh…" Aryll groaned.

Worriedly, Link turned to her.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot to ask for their autographs…"

He stared at her, mouth agape.

"How can you think of something like that at a time like this?!" He exclaimed. "Honestly, sometimes I think you're not my sister at all!"

Aryll rolled her eyes.

"You're being melodramatic. The princess will be fine. Besides, there's no rush right now. She needs rest after what she did."

Midna scoffed. She muttered something under her breath, low enough for them not to hear it.

"What?" Link asked.

She looked up at them both. She seemed to hesitate before saying:

"We can't let her rest."

Aryll scrunched up her nose.

"Why would that be?"

"Because. Just trust me. She would tell you them same thing. We've got to keep moving."

"We should stay. It'll be nightfall soon." Aryll argued.

"We have to move out. We don't have much time."

"Time for what?" Link asked.

Immediately, Midna went rigid. She stood up and hauled Zelda to her feet. The princess fell back. He caught her again. Furiously, he glared up at her.

"What are you trying to do?!" He yelled.

Midna stared back at him with cool eyes.

"It was the only way to get you moving. Now please, carry her on your back and let's go. We must move, unless you want to spend the night with wild wolfos. There are things in this forest now. You must remember that while we are with the princess, nowhere is safe. It is a reality you must come to terms with if you wish to travel with us."

"Are you prepared to take those risks as well?"

Midna stared back at him, and then looked at Aryll. Looking to the sky, she clenched her fists.

"I was prepared to take those risks ever since I arrived."

She began walking towards a cave up ahead. Link gathered Zelda up on his back and began trekking after Midna. Silently, Aryll followed, feeling strangely at ease with what had transpired.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

It was twilight by the time they arrived at a shack. There, they found a boy sitting on a tree stump in front of a cauldron of soup. He held a lantern in his hands and lit up the fire while they approached. When he noticed them, he waved excitedly. He asked nothing of the princess, nor did he inquire as to what had happened to her. Finally, someone who wasn't dedicated to finding out about other people's business.

"I'm giving out free lanterns, man. But you've got to buy the oil." The boy said.

Link sighed. There was always something.

"We'll take two, both filled with oil." Midna said, her hand retreating inside her cape.

She pulled out a bag that clinked loudly. She took out forty rupees and handed them to the boy.

"My name's Coro, by the way." He said, while filling up their lanterns with oil. "You guys Ordonian?"

Link and Aryll both nodded. Midna shook her head.

"I'm traveling all over. I came here last month." She lied.

Coro smiled.

"Yes. We do get a lot of visitors. The great spirit Ordona is sought out for guidance quite often."

He handed them their lanterns and sat back down on the stump.

"Whenever you need lantern oil, I'll be here waiting. Be careful."

"Thanks. We'll keep that in mind." Aryll said.

They left through the path, taking the right fork on the road. Pretty soon, they came upon the wooden arc that symbolized the end of Faron Province. Ahead of them, Link could see a vast plain, and further out, the remains of what once was the bustling Castle Town. Hyrule Castle itself loomed over the ruins of the Town, its spectral glare sending an ominous message that was clear to all of those who looked upon it.

"Abandon hope all ye who enter here." Aryll quoted beside him.

Midna let out a humorless laugh.

"Yes. That would be a feasible description for it." She said, a tone of pain entering her voice.

The Town was up in flames, even now. The screams of its people seemed to echo throughout the plains. They cried out for help. Remorse…sorrow…it was all inside him. He wanted to do something, anything to help them…But he could not.

"The castle…" Aryll said, her voice trailing off.

An evil glow surrounded it. It shone out brightly. A mark of death… was upon it.

"We must find shelter. Let's find a place where we can't see that." Midna murmured.

Aryll nodded.

"Why?" Link said, fighting the urge to run to the Castle.

"For the princess…"

As if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, Link immediately understood. Walking after Aryll and Midna, his heart wrenched. He walked away from people in need. And in that regard, he was just as good as the murderer.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The fire bathed the cave in a soft glow. They were an hour away from arriving at Lanayru Bridge, and they were all tired. Zelda had not woken up since then, thankfully. Link watched her as she slept; he was completely unaware of the odd looks Midna and Aryll were sending him.

"The screams are not fading…" He commented at last.

They could still hear them echoing throughout the Field.

"I do not think they will fade." Midna said, putting her face in her hands.

"Why?" Aryll asked, remorse shrouding her features.

Midna hesitated a while before answering. She rose her face up to look at Zelda.

"I believe that they are stuck in eternal torment. A spell has been put upon Castle Town. One that will not allow the dead to rest…"

Shock bolted down his spine. He shot up, his heart pounding. Mouth dry, he could not form the words he wanted to ask.

"What?!" Aryll asked for him.

Her usually calm demeanor had changed. As he had, she had stood. Her face reflected shock and she seemed to struggle with herself. She trembled, gripping her clothes as if trying to restrain herself from doing something.

"It is an ancient punishment in the realm of Twilight…" Midna whispered, switching her gaze to the fire.

Link clenched his hands into fists.

"Why would anyone use such unorthodox methods to punish someone who has already paid the price for their crime?!" He cried, stepping towards her.

Midna rose from her seat.

"I do not think I should be questioned for the errors of my ancestors." Her voice was suddenly deathly cold. "I do not know their motives. I do not know how Zant managed to cast the spell if he was dead. I do not know why this all happened, or even why I'm here, so don't hold me responsible for everything that goes wrong in your world!"

A groan rung out throughout the cave. Zelda stirred. They turned to look at her. A small flicker of fear was lit in their hearts. She sat up.

"What happened?" She asked, staring up at them with bleary eyes. "Who died?"

Midna hissed under her breath as she realized just how close to home that was. Zelda blinked and worry outlined her features when no one answered her questions.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Link wanted to answer, _Everything_. But he kept quiet and stomped out the fire. Midna turned to gather her things, and Aryll did the same. He helped Zelda up and put up the makeshift bed they had prepared for her. While he did his work, he was acutely aware of Zelda carefully watching his back, eyes never wavering. Eyes that knew something had happened, but decided they were better off not knowing.

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They had set out again, Zelda keeping quiet at the back of the group. A rather solemn air had descended upon them, and they marched ahead in the cold night air, to forget of what they had just done. To forget what they had just discussed. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

"The bridge should be right around this bend." Midna instructed.

Link nodded. Rounding the corner, they came upon the bridge. It was long and narrow, made up of cobblestones that clinked under your feet.

"We won't cross it, though. There is a passage right over here that will lead us down to Lake Hylia. It will save us quite a long walk." She said, pointing at a dark crevice in the wall.

Zelda approached it with a lantern in hand. Light shown on a staircase leading in a downwards spiral. It seemed quite cramped inside.

"I can't do this…" Aryll fidgeted nervously.

Link turned to glare at her.

"You can take on some bulblin, but you can't handle a staircase?" He asked incredulously.

Zelda glared at him.

"How can you be so insensitive? She's your own sister!" She snapped. Then, turning to Aryll, she asked, "You don't like enclosed spaces?"

Aryll reluctantly shook her head no.

"Ever since I was small, I've always hated going into small places. I always feel like I can't breathe."

Zelda nodded her head.

"Fear of enclosed spaces…" She muttered to herself, "You know, my mother used to have that too?"

Aryll blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes. It annoyed my father beyond belief." She murmured, looking to the side. She turned back to Aryll, a soft and benevolent smile put upon her face. "What my mother used to do when she was in a tight space was let the terror take over. But just for five seconds. When she counted to six, the fear was somehow always gone."

Aryll smiled at the thought. But then it wavered when she looked back at the staircase.

"I…" She hesitated.

Zelda took the younger girl's hand.

"Midna and I will be right here with you, so you don't have to worry." She said.

Midna nodded beside Zelda.

"What am I? A wall? I'm here for her too!" Link protested.

They all turned to him.

"Hence why she should begin to worry." Midna said with dry honesty.

Link glared at her.

"Honestly, Link. Do you _want_ her to panic?" Zelda asked, teasing.

He switched glares from Midna to Zelda. Midna sighed.

"Can you come, Aryll?" She asked her, ignoring Link.

Aryll nodded slowly. She gulped. And took a step inside the staircase after Zelda. Almost immediately, it felt as though the walls were beginning to cramp in around her. She squeezed Zelda's hand, who gave her a reassuring squeeze in return. In her mind, she began counting.

_1…_

There was no air inside the staircase, and the light was beginning to flicker.

_2…_

The steps were beginning to get steeper, and she almost stumbled forward.

_3…_

Her heart was pounding inside her, and it almost seemed to hurt. The walls closed in around her, and she began hyperventilating.

_4…_

She clamped her eyes shut, but it did nothing to help her. It only served to make her desperation even worse. She almost cried.

_5…_

A blast of cold wind hit her face and she opened her eyes to find herself outside. Lake Hylia spread out all around them. She turned to Zelda, and without thinking, she hugged her.

"Thank you…" She whispered, and let her go just as quickly.

Zelda smiled again.

"It's no trouble at all." She said.

Link emerged from the staircase with Midna behind him. He watched their exchange and smiled to himself. Zelda was kind, so much unlike any of the other royals he had heard of. Midna was as well.

"We should keep moving, before we are spotted." Midna said.

"Wait a second. How will we get up to the desert?" Aryll asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Midna smiled at her kindly.

"It's not a staircase." She assured, "It's a mountain trail. It should be over there. See the ladder?"

And indeed, over a few planks that connected various small islands, there was a ladder at the far end of Lake Hylia. Link went over to Aryll and gave her a one armed hug. He ruffled her hair and began walking forward after Midna and Zelda. Aryll grinned softly. She did have friends here, even if they had only just met.

After crossing the planks and climbing up the ladder, Link panted in exhaustion. They hadn't rested well, and neither of them had actually slept, except for Zelda. Midna walked over to him and offered him a jug of water. He drunk it greedily, and was slapped in the back of the head for it.

"What was that for?!" He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Midna crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in annoyance.

"We need the water to survive in the desert, you nitwit!"

Link glared at her.

"We seem to have plenty of water around here!" He motioned to the Lake.

Beside them, Zelda and Aryll rolled their eyes and groaned. What was it with those two? They seemed to get off on a bad foot and now they were arguing like no tomorrow.

"We can't drink that! It tastes like fish!"

"So what? Everyone drinks it!"

"_After_ it's been cleaned!"

"That's not-!"

"Will you be quiet?!" Aryll yelled, running a hand through her hair.

"Let's just go up the trail. Can we please do that?" Zelda asked, her voice gone quiet.

Midna shot Link one last glare before heading up the trail.

"I'll take that as a yes." Zelda muttered.

Link and Aryll followed them up the trail. It seemed old and it was covered with dust and sand. Little specks of it hit his eyes when the wind hit them. He blinked in irritation.

"How much further till we reach the top?" Aryll asked.

"Not much. It's just a steep hill. That's why it seems so long." Midna responded.

Ahead of them, Zelda moved to Midna's side. They spoke in quiet whispers. There was something going on that they hadn't told them. He watched them both with increasing suspicion.

"Link?" Aryll asked, pulling on his shirt sleeve.

"Yeah?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Her voice was filled with terror.

"What?"

"I saw something moving…"

They emerged unto the desert sands, and the air was deathly cold, as it always was at night. They were next to a ledge with a long drop and Link moved Aryll away.

"Aryll, it's probably just your-"

Suddenly, Zelda stopped walking.

"What?" Midna asked her.

"I thought I heard something." She whispered.

Link looked over to her, alarmed. He moved with Aryll towards them, looking around cautiously.

"Zelda, Aryll saw something too." He said.

Midna and Zelda turned to them.

"Where?" Midna asked.

Aryll pointed towards the entrance they had just come through.

"Around there. It moved too fast for me to get a good look at it, but I know I saw something."

Zelda spun around.

"What was that?!"

Suddenly, an arrow flew over his head and unto the floor. Attached to it was a piece of paper. Link bent down and picked it up. Aryll, Midna, and Zelda gathered around him to look at it. It read:

_To the princess of Hyrule:_

_You aren't welcome here. Leave, before **they **come. They're angry._

Alarm shot through his body.

"What?" He breathed.

And quite suddenly, he was shoved backwards and down the cliff.

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All he was aware of was that his head was pounding. His hands were in an uncomfortable position, behind his back. He tried to move them but found he could not. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was in some kind of prison cell. Moon light flickered through the small window, illuminating his surroundings. His hands were tied behind his back with rope. He was dumped on the floor by the cell door. Eyes widening, he struggled to remember what happened.

"Link?" Someone called out, voice groggy.

He struggled onto his side and dazedly searched for the voice's owner. His whole body ached, but his head was the worst. Sharp flashes of pain made him see red. He panted with the effort. Trying to stay conscious, he rose unto his side. Zelda had a new bruise on her neck that looked suspiciously like a hand mark. Beside her, Midna lay unconscious on her side, traces of dried blood on her forehead. Aryll was the worst. She was huddled in a corner shivering. She had bruises all over her arms and she was bleeding from her lip. She had a nasty cut on her forehead too, which surprisingly wasn't bleeding.

"We were ambushed by the Gerudo." Zelda tried to speak.

She seemed to struggle to get the words out and for a second he wondered if she had a speech impediment. But when he saw her hand faintly reach up to her neck, he knew that her wound wasn't just physical.

"They pushed you off the cliff and you hit your head or something. Then they did the same to Aryll. She got the bad side, tumbling through rocks…" Zelda explained, a pained expression flickering across her face. "They're all women, but they know how to fight and use spears and swords very well. Midna and I were no match for them. She got knocked out, and began bleeding. But then they turned to me. They grabbed me by the neck and smiled at me…One of them hauled me over the edge and grinned at me, almost as if she were going to let me drop too…"

Link nodded at her slightly, motioning for her to continue.

"Please, go ahead…" His voice sounded raspy, even to him.

"They know who I am, Link." She whispered with obvious difficulty. "They know I'm the princess of Hyrule. The daughter of the man who did nothing to help them…Link…My execution is at dawn."

He could barely breathe.

"We've got to get out of here…" Aryll whimpered from her corner. "Link, we have to find a way out…"

For a second, and only a second, he felt like giving up. But then he saw the look on Zelda's face, he heard the terror in Aryll's voice, and he struggled up to his knees. Slumping against the wall, he desperately searched for a way out. Any way out that might lead them to safety, even if it was only temporary.

A jingling of keys alerted him. He looked to the steel bars of the prison cell. A woman with red hair in a purple uniform held the keys in her hand, and looked from side to side nervously. She tossed them through the bars.

"I was never here." She said.

Then she ran away.

"Wait!" He whispered.

"Be quiet and use the keys! Don't get caught!" A hiss warned.

"Thank you…" He murmured.

He leaned down and grabbed the keys with his mouth like a dog would a bone. He handed them to the only one in the room whose hands weren't tied. Aryll's hands shook as she inserted the correct key into the lock of the cell. Then, she exited the cell and came back quickly with a knife. She cut the rope tying Link and Zelda, and then Midna's as well.

"Midna." Zelda whispered, shaking her by the shoulders.

Her only response was a groan.

"Midna, wake up." Link urged.

Said girl's eyes opened and she moved to touch her forehead. She hissed when her fingers brushed against the side of her forehead caked in blood.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We'll speak of this later. We have to go. Can you walk?" Zelda asked, concern edging her voice.

"Yes." She answered.

Midna stood up easily and offered Zelda her hand. They left through the cell door and followed Aryll to a circular room.

"Let's take some equipment." She said, her hand tracing the arc of a bow.

Link nodded. He picked up a sword and strapped it to his back. Then he picked out a Hylian shield, which he suspected had been stolen. Zelda picked out twin blades and an ebony bow with a bundle of arrows. Midna took a mahogany staff and twirled it around in her hands, as if to get the feel for it. Aryll took a bow, a bundle of arrows, and short staff.

"Cura personae!" She cried, pointing the staff at Zelda.

Zelda gasped, as if her air vents had been cleared. The mark on her throat began disappearing, although it did not fade away completely.

"Thank you." Her voice was also crystal clear and she did not look pained as she spoke.

Nodding, Aryll turned to Midna. With a small flick of her staff, the wound on Midna's forehead faded into a tiny clean cut. She turned to Link and repeated the same gesture. The pounding headache faded into a small throb he could barely feel. Aryll then gestured to herself and the cut on her forehead shrank somewhat. The bruises on her arms faded away to small spots on her skin that weren't noticeable unless you were up close. She wiped her lip on the back of her hand.

"Let's go." He said.

"Wait." Midna said.

She motioned to Zelda. Said girl was staring at a picture on the wall. Moving up behind her, they saw a ship. Its name was in big golden letters that spelled out one thing:

'_The Aquatic Illusion'._

The picture presented a man in his early thirties with his arm around a woman. The woman held two newborn babies in her arms and was smiling. The picture was in black and white, an indication that it had been nearly two decades since the picture had been taken.

"What is it?" Aryll asked her.

Zelda's hand twitched. He moved forward, trying to get a glimpse of her expression. It was completely blank, and she stared at the picture as if she were in a trance.

"I…recognize this ship."

"What?" Midna asked her incredulously.

"This is my father's ship." Her voice sounded certain, and doubtful at the same time.

"Is it still at dock?" Link asked.

"The last thing I heard of this ship was that it was at the port. At this port…"

"Then we can use it!" He exclaimed.

Zelda turned from the picture. Her eyes seemed pained for some reason. There was something in her expression that warned him that she was hiding something.

"Here." Aryll said, holding up a black cloak. "Put this on. That way, no one will recognize you."

"But first, change out of that gown." Midna said. "And you." She said, turning to him. "Keep watch."

He grumbled to himself but obliged. He left through the door and into the hallway of the prison ward. There, he spotted a Gerudo guard, sleeping in a chair. The woman snored slightly. He turned away as it was all he could do to keep himself from sniggering.

"Let's go." Zelda whispered to him as they went past the door.

She wore the black cloak, and under it, he could see common folk's clothes. She wore clothing similar to those of Aryll and Ilia. It suited her. Then again, he thought she could wear anything, even a sack, and still look beautiful.

"Move it Link!" Aryll snapped at him.

He shook himself out of his reverie and followed Midna through the maze of passages. She seemed to know her way through everything in Hyrule and he was grateful for it. She led them to some big doors that opened out unto a sand filled courtyard. They hurried through it, listening out for voices. Twice, they almost bumped into guards that made their rounds, but somehow, they always managed to get away without alerting anyone.

"Where's the exit?" He asked Midna.

"It's right over there, through that passage. It leads out into the desert, and I imagine we're going to have to hurry to get past those two guards." She pointed at two patrolling guards that circled around and around the entrance to their hideout.

"Right." He whispered to himself.

They made a mad dash towards the passage, making it in the nick of time without getting caught. He breathed a sigh of relief and ran through the passage and out unto the cold air of the desert. They didn't dare stop there for fear that they would be discovered by their footprints and they continued in direction of the town port. They spotted the lights in the distance and ran towards them.

"I've never run more in my entire life!" Aryll panted.

"It's about time you got off your lazy-" He began.

"Who was the one climbing mountains for herbs while you were sick in bed?" Aryll growled, "Finish that sentence and I'll never heal you again."

"As if you would do that." He teased.

"Link, I swear I'll let you die." Aryll responded with a wry smile.

"All siblings are like this, I'd imagine." Midna muttered to herself.

"You don't have brothers or sisters?" Zelda asked.

"No. My mother died when I was born, and my father never wished to remarry. When he died, he left me with the whole kingdom, but I was only eight at the time, so I couldn't take over." Midna explained. "That's when the counsel hired Zant as my royal advisor. When it was my eighteenth birthday, he tried to take over…and he put a spell on me…and that's when I first came upon the Mirror of Twilight."

"And then?"

"Then…I met…Forget it."

There was silence between the four of them after that. When they were in the outskirts of the town, they slowed down. They walked over to the port, where a few people were up and about at that time at night. Zelda suddenly ran forward. They hurried after her, wondering what had gotten into her.

"Zelda, wait!" He cried.

Midna clobbered him.

"Don't use her name like that!" She snapped. "Do you want people to know who she is?!"

"Sorry." He hissed, clutching the back of his head.

He was getting hit in the head way too many times if you asked him.

"Get over here!" Zelda beckoned them over to where she was standing.

She looked up at a small ship that resembled the one in the picture.

"This is it." She breathed. "This is my father's personal ship. The last thing I have of him…"

It was a truly elegant ship, although it was pretty small. Link assumed the King had loved to man the boat himself, with the help of a few other people. Zelda walked around it until she spotted the plank that led up to it.

"Princess, we must leave at once." Midna's voice had gotten panicky.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked.

Midna pointed at a group of guards that were approaching the ship. Link quickly untied the moor rope at the lower end of the ship while his sister untied the other. Midna and Zelda both went up ahead and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. He and Aryll ran up the plank and pushed it off. Then, they both turned to the sails. Both at opposite ends of the ship, they began untying the sails and releasing them in order to use the gusts of wind that were currently blowing North, in the exact direction they needed to go.

"Hey! Get off of that ship!"

The sails unfurled and the ship began to gain speed. Arrows from the guards at the edge of the dock whizzed by their heads and they ducked to the ground.

"Great." Link complained.

"What now, Link?" Midna asked, irritation lacing her voice.

"First we get attacked by crazy power hungry women and now we're stealing a boat. And that's not even all of what happened before that…"

"We're not technically stealing the ship, since I'm supposed to inherit it…" Zelda said, "But I have no idea what to say to make you feel better about the Gerudo."

"Well, you could reassure me that they're not plotting to completely eradicate men from the face of the earth."

Zelda shrugged.

"Sorry. Can't say that they're not."

Link gulped nervously.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Aryll asked, standing up again.

He stood as well and looked over his shoulder. The dock was pretty far away by now and he could not see anything alarming.

"Not there! There!" Aryll shouted, pointing ahead of them.

He followed her gaze until it fell upon a monstrous shadow. It moved towards them, like a ghost ship. The early rays of the morning illuminated it through the slight mist of morn and they could see it wasn't a monster at all. It was a large ship filled with cannons. And it slowed to a stop, blocking their path. They withdrew the sails, and watched with increasing trepidation.

"I thought the King of Hyrule was dead! Who are you?" A voice shouted.

Suddenly, seven shadows dropped down unto the deck, swords drawn. They were all obviously pirates, but they were all male. The voice that they had heard was obviously female. Zelda stepped forward.

"Who are you to ask?" She snapped back.

Another, much thinner shadow dropped down in front of her. The girl had tanned skin from being out in the sun too much, and she also had blonde hair. She had a red bandanna wrapped around her neck and a sword at her side. Her eyes were a crystal clear blue, and they seemed analytical. She smirked at Zelda cockily.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself." She said, "My name is Tetra, and I'm here to plunder your ship."

_"A never-ending scattered dream…"_

**A/N: Well, how was that for Tetra's introduction? I'm really hyped about her role in the story, and I assure you that the plot is going to get thicker. I will delve into the main characters' pasts more often now that I've got the setting according to plan. Here's a preview for what's in store:**

_The feisty pirate named Tetra forces Zelda into a one on one combat: Winner take all. In Tetra's eyes, Zelda seems weak, but she's in for one hell of a surprise. Tetra is forced to resort to something only a selected few know about. This makes Zelda suspicious and after the heated battle, they decide to go to Outset Island, where Link and Aryll's grandmother lives. Replenishing their supplies, they decided to stay there for the night. After a few startling discoveries for Zelda, they sail to the Tower of the Gods. There, they meet a messenger of the Goddesses that tells them that in order to restore Hyrule to its original status (without the constant threat of Twilight), they need to gather the three pearls that have been hidden all over the Great Sea. _

**Meh heh heh. I've got a plot...Mwuahahahaha! Everything's going according to plan. You'll discover, and won't discover some things in the next chapter. But don't worry. What you don't discover, you will later in the story. That is, if you keep reading. -cackles-**


	5. Ch 4: The First Signs of Betrayal

**From the Ashes of a Kingdom Reborn**

**By: Ashe Van Hollow**

**A/N: This is my longest chapter yet! I'm serious! This one's about 9,000 and some words! I tried to cut it a little bit, but I wouldn't have worked out with my plans if I had. Either way, this won't be happening again, so please...don't worry. This 9,000 word thing isn't permanent. I don't like overly long chapters. Also, I need to apologize for not updating sooner like I promised. My internet has been retarded lately, but don't worry. It has been dealt with and I can now update regularly. Thanks again to all of my reviewers, I mean...those of you who haven't given up on this story because of me and my stupid internet. It's been almost two months since I last updated, and I hate myself for it. But next update won't been a long wait since it's already half written. So, thank you! Without further ado, here's my fifth chapter to FTAOAKR! A fair warning though, this chapter is a bit potent in the plot category. It took an unexpected turn (the plot I mean).**

**Chapter 4: The First Signs of Betrayal**

_"It lies hidden beneath, a portrayal of the obvious…"_

Silence. It ruled over her. There was something familiar about the girl in front of her. It was disturbing, the way the girl's eyes seemed to track her every movement. She stared back defiantly. This only seemed to amuse the girl even more. Her hand moved to her neck, to the folds of the shirt in which she kept the crystal shard. She unfolded it and took it out. Moving towards Link, she grabbed his hand, pried it open and placed the shard in it.

"Keep it safe." She told him.

"I will." He said, and it was almost as if he knew what she had to do.

Then, turning towards the girl, Tetra, she moved forward.

"What? No crying? No screaming for your little hero to help?" Tetra asked her, "You certainly look like you would fit that damsel in distress bill."

"That would certainly show how much you know." Midna said dryly.

Zelda smiled at her gratefully, her blood boiling after that last comment.

"Hmm…oh well. Back to the task at hand. Will you put up a fight? Or will you just fork over the loot?"

Zelda held her head high.

"What would be our chances at fighting back?" She asked her.

Tetra raised an eyebrow.

"Well, seeing you're surrounded and undeniably outnumbered, there isn't much chance that you'll leave this ship alive."

"So, what would you suggest for our little predicament, seeing as I'm not willing to let you have your way that easily?"

"Well, there is one thing…although I doubt you'd ever agree to it."

"Try me." She bit back defiantly.

"A duel…between you…and me."

A ripple went throughout all of them.

"Alright." Zelda agreed.

"Can I borrow her for a second?" Midna asked.

Tetra shrugged.

"Go ahead."

Midna pulled Zelda away for a second. Once out of earshot, she glared at her furiously.

"There's no way I'll let you do this!" She snapped, "Your ankle's not yet healed and the way you just fell for her bait just proves to me that your bump in the head messed something up in there!"

"Midna, I can do this!"

"I won't let you risk your life for me again! Can't you, just once, quit being so damn selfless?!"

"No! I won't stand by and let her tear apart the last of what I have from my father!"

"Why won't you listen to me?! He won't mind because he's dead! He won't be coming back if you set things right, Zelda! You can't protect him anymore! He'd want you to save your life!"

"What makes you think I won't survive?!"

"For one thing, the lump on your head, and your ankle! One wrong move and you're done for!"

"I refuse to stand back and let her ransack my father's belongings! Midna, this isn't about him! It's about me!"

"But you can't use your magic to fend her off!"

"I don't need it!"

Zelda placed both hands on Midna's shoulders.

"But…princess…" Midna was almost begging, "If you get killed now…"

"I'll be fine." She smiled at her softly. "And then you can berate me about my recklessness afterwards. Alright?"

Reluctantly, Midna nodded. And then her expression turned into a teasing glare.

"But be expecting a huge scolding after this!"

Zelda laughed softly. In the back of her mind, she actually dreaded the fight. But of course, she wouldn't let Midna know that.

"Yes…"

"No…really…please be careful." Midna sounded almost anxious.

"I will."

Taking a deep breath, Zelda walked forward towards Tetra.

"You're done?"

"Yes."

With a nod, Tetra motioned for her pirates to step back. She drew out her sword. She then looked up expectantly towards Zelda. She took out her twin blades.

"That's it? Two pathetic blades?" Tetra asked, "You sure you don't want to ask your little boyfriend over there for his long sword?"

Narrowing her eyes, Zelda took on her perfect stance. The twin blades were poised perfectly, and if she were to be seen from afar, she would've appeared to be an assassin.

"I'm sure." She said.

Tetra shrugged.

"Easier for me then."

And before she could blink, Tetra rushed forward with a speed that took her by surprise. Zelda jumped to the side as Tetra's sword swung out in a strategic, yet slightly wild, thrust. She parried with her twin blades as the other girl swung her sword back at her neck. Holding the sword in place, she pushed it away propelling herself forward with her good leg. Forced to take a step back, Tetra grinned. With her left hand, she reached into her back pocket, pulled out her knife and sliced at Zelda.

The edge of the knife grazed her cheek in a light cut a few inches below the eye. Tetra made another swipe towards her neck with her sword. Eyes flashing, Zelda dropped down on the floor, effectively ducking the sword, and propped herself up with her hands. With her good leg, she made a swipe at Tetra, who jumped up onto the stairs leading up to the steering wheel.

Zelda jumped up after her, following Tetra up to the steering wheel. She made a swipe at the girl's arm but Tetra easily blocked it with her sword. Zelda ducked Tetra's next swipe overhead and moved behind the girl. Slashing with her blades as Tetra ducked, she managed to cut off the bun of messy hair she had been wearing, effectively loosening her hair. In response, Tetra growled.

She suddenly jumped up. Placing a foot against the nearest wall, she propelled herself over Zelda's head. Zelda whirled around, expecting to see the sword headed straight for her neck, but instead she found Tetra slashing a rope.

"What…?" She breathed.

A creaking noise from behind her made her turn around. The mast swung around to face her. Suddenly, she was swept off the deck and out onto the ocean. She hung on precariously to the pole. With her good foot, she managed to wrap herself around it and onto a safer position.

"You cheat!" Aryll shouted from deck.

Tetra, who in the short time Zelda had spent struggling to hang on, had successfully managed to approach Zelda while standing on the mast herself. She laughed.

"It's called resourcefulness dearest!" She called out to her.

Zelda kicked Tetra's legs and caused her to fall on the deck. Her sword flew out of her hands a good few feet away. Zelda cut out a piece of rope from the sail and used it to swing down towards the sword. Whirling it around to face Tetra on the floor, she glared at her foe.

"How's that for resourcefulness?"

Tetra smirked.

"You're good…" She relented, "But I'm better."

"You're the one who's one the floor."

With a wicked smile, Tetra closed her eyes.

"Wrath of Din!"

A lump arose in Zelda's throat and she could not breathe. That wasn't possible. There was no way this pirate could know those kinds of spells. But when the heat began gathering around her, and she found herself surrounded by a ball of red, she trembled. The sword in her hands fell to the ground, as did her twin blades. The heat was almost unbearable. But even worse was the sensation that she no longer knew anything of what was going on around her. Even worse was the sensation of realizing you no longer had any control over your life.

"Nayru's love!"

And quite suddenly, Tetra found her eyes widening. Because a giant wall of water swept over the both of them, completely extinguishing her precious flames. And she found herself sputtering with an incredulous look placed upon her face. She had realized that she had made a mistake by judging the girl as a pampered and wealthy girl who knew naught of the arts of magic and swordsmanship. And she figured out that this had been one of the few times when she had judged someone wrong.

She felt her forehead. She felt woozy. There was blood all over it and she knew she was bleeding badly. The girl must've managed to get in a lucky strike.

Panting, Tetra looked at Zelda. The girl had sunk down on her knee, watery trails of blood flowing from one of her ankles. She clutched her head, looking horribly pale and dizzy, and the crimson blood that flowed from her nose was bright in contrast with her face. She looked up from the ground at her and then an alarmed look flashed across her ghostly white face.

"Where did you get that?!" She asked, struggling to get up.

Tetra looked at the ground beside her. A polished blue stone lay next to her foot. It was the stone she used to communicate with her mother. She picked it up.

"Someone gave it to me." She said.

Zelda glared and managed to stand up.

"Give that back." She growled. "It's not yours."

With an incredulous look on her face, Tetra said:

"It's mine! My mother gave it to me!"

"That's impossible!" Zelda argued, "That's a gossip stone known only to the royals of Hyrule! It's a method used for communication in emergencies only! Now give it back!"

"No! I didn't steal it! It was given to me by my mother!"

"Then she must've stolen it! Now give it back!"

"Don't you dare call my mother a thief!"

"Where did you learn those spells?!"

"My mother taught me those as well!"

"Those are spells only known by the royals of Hyrule! These spells are secrets, and they have been handed down from heir to heir since the time of the great Hero! How can she know these spells and have possessed the stone as well?!"

"I don't know!"

Zelda grabbed Tetra by the shoulders, half leaning, half shoving.

Almost as if by electric shock, her eyes widened. She suddenly couldn't breathe. Her chest constricted. Something within her heart squeezed and she screamed. It wasn't a scared sort of scream. It was painful. Raw. And it tore out from the deepest part of her soul.

Suddenly, she could hear her head pounding. The people around her blurred. They faded away into the abysmal darkness that slowly enveloped her. The scream continued and a sudden sensation of burning surged from her right hand. She fell forward onto her knees, seeing white. Pain ripped through her, cutting her in half. Closing her eyes, her skull erupted in a searing flash, a scream that was not her own. And she was suddenly swimming in agony.

"Zelda!"

She could not tell who said it. It was not the fact that she could barely think. It was not the fact that all her senses were dull from the intense pain. It was the fact that she had seemed to hear it twice…at the same time. It was the fact that there was another scream hidden within the folds of her own.

"What's wrong?! Zelda, tell me what's wrong!"

"My hand…!" She gasped out.

Another stab at her heart sent her left hand shooting up to her chest. She clutched at where it hurt, unable to do nothing but scream as she was torn out from the inside. The burning in her right hand felt like fire. It was hot, and it etched deeply within her skin. The scream within her head made itself louder, tearing at the binds that contained it. And suddenly, she could see it. It was within her grasp, floating up from Tetra's neckline. A small piece…a golden glow…

"What am I searching for?!"

"For the one thing that will complete you."

And almost as if she had been knocked to the side with a heavy pole, she dropped down on the floor and everything faded to black.

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_Heavy gasps. Labored breathing. Groans filled with pain. Echoes of the suffering._

_A golden light illuminating the corpses. The darkness shunned aside. The creation of a Mirror._

_A golden power. Gasping. Her hands outstretched. She needed it. It hurt to be away from it. In the dark depths of her mind, a nagging voice urged her forth. Because it was there…and it belonged to her. Torture. Within her grasp. But never enough to reach it._

_A man dressed in black, his face hidden in shadows. He held out a hand. Within it a head. Her father's._

_"You cannot save us…"_

_A constriction in her chest. In her throat. The mounting of sheer horror._

_"…In the end…you will die with us all…my precious…Princess… Zelda…"_

_In a flash of fire, it was gone. Disintegrated. Like sand, falling through the man's fingers. Like dust. And an empty, cavernous laughter rang in her ears._

_"You will die with us all…my precious daughter Zelda."_

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"Father!"

She struggled against the hands that pinned her down, screaming and kicking out. Tears seeped through her closed eyelids, and she sobbed. She slowly stopped struggling, and opened her eyes, trying to see through her tears. Link hovered over her, concern etching his face. Without thinking, she threw herself at him as if her life depended on him. He held her in his hands, running his hand through her hair.

"Oh Link…I miss them so…" She sobbed. "Impa…Daddy…"

How long had it been since she had called him that? She could not remember.

"I know you do…" He whispered.

Gradually, her tears lessened, and she drew back from him. She felt reluctant in doing so, although she knew not why. She had always viewed him as a valuable friend and ally, but before she had not viewed him as an important source of comfort. But now he also seemed guarded, almost as if something had happened.

She became aware of her surroundings, and immediately sensed she was not on the same ship. She was inside a cabin, the door leading outside closed. She was plopped on a bed, and beside her there was a dresser with a woman's picture on it. Long blonde hair and dark yet strangely clear blue eyes, almost the color of violet. Again, she felt a tugging sensation in the pit of her stomach and she turned away from the picture.

The door suddenly opened. Tetra walked through it with Midna flanking her. They were arguing heatedly about something.

"I did nothing! I've been telling you the exact same thing for three hours now, and I'm sick of it!" Tetra yelled, glaring daggers at Midna.

"You must have done something! There is no other explanation." Midna growled, "Now tell me, before I slit your throat."

Tetra let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, like you're so high and mighty! I'm terribly scared!" She retorted, a mocking tone lining the edges of her voice. "Please. As if you stand a chance against me!"

"If Zelda can do it, so can I! You didn't seem to be able to win except by cheating-"

"I never cheated! Neither of us won! I let you on my ship, didn't I?!" Tetra asked incredulously.

Midna snorted.

"Yeah, after your little barbecue session with her ship as the main course!"

Tetra fidgeted and her eyes flickered from Midna's face to the ground and back again.

"Well…yes…but that's beside the point!"

"Then please, enlighten me as to what the point is then!"

Tetra hesitated, and then shook her head.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." She replied acidly, "The fact is that I didn't do anything. Whether or not you choose to believe me is your choice. Now excuse me. I've got to change clothes before we arrive to Outset."

Midna glared at her, actual dislike lining her beautiful features. She stormed out the door and out of sight. Tetra then turned to Link. She spotted Zelda sitting beside him and for a second, her demeanor softened. But then it was gone and her face hardened, a mask of hatred taking over.

"Get out." She snapped at Link.

"You hurt her and I'll-!" He hissed.

"I'm not the one you should be accusing. Now go before I hurt you." Her eyes were flat, a sign of danger.

Without a word, Link stood and left her on the bed. His eyes met Tetra's and he glared at her, as if communicating a silent message. He closed the door behind him.

"Well? Are you going to attack me too?" There was an expectant tone in her voice, but deeper still there was desperation.

Zelda looked at the girl before her with blatant curiosity. She could feel the apprehension in the way she stood, in the way she gazed back at her with a tinge of regret. And quite suddenly, she remembered. The duel between the both of them. The echoes of the voice beckoning her. The pain inflaming her right hand. The unbearable pain.

"I refuse to." She answered quietly. "I know it wasn't you who hurt me so."

Tetra rushed forth and kneeled down on the floor before her, desperation taking over her features.

"Then what did?" She asked anxiously, "What caused you so much pain that it felt as though your skull were being ripped in half? Why did your hand feel as though it were on fire?"

Shock coursed through Zelda's veins. Again, an empowering sensation of déjà vu washed over her, along with a wave of odd recognition. She leaned down towards her hastily, hissing under her breath at the jab of pain from her ankle. She felt odd. She felt so unlike herself.

"How did you know?!"

Tetra's eyes were wide and almost wild. Fearful.

"I could feel it. I could feel the echoes in your mind. I could hear the voice of your father within my head while you were asleep. Who are you?!" Tetra screamed. "Why is this happening to me?!"

She took Zelda's head in her hands and shook her. Zelda placed her hands on top of hers, effectively stopping her. She stared into the other girl's eyes, and looked away, disturbed. It was like looking into a mirror.

"I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule." She spoke reluctantly.

Shock flickered through Tetra's face and she stood stock still. Slowly, she sunk down unto her knees, her head sinking as well. She placed her forehead on the edge of the bed, and Zelda heard some slight sniffling. She flinched.

"Hey, are you crying?" She asked, nudging Tetra gently.

An indignant snuffle was heard inside the room and Tetra's head rose. Her eyes were red, as was her nose.

"I'm not crying. I have allergies and my nose was leaking." She defended, narrowing her puffy eyes.

Zelda blinked rapidly.

"Right." She agreed dubiously.

"I'm serious, Zel! I have allergies!"

"Zel?"

Zelda blinked again.

"Well, I hope you weren't expecting a 'Your Highness'. If so, then you're in for a world of disappointment. I'm not bowing down to you." She replied sourly.

Zelda let out a short laugh, sighing softly.

"To be truthful, yes I was. But I'm glad you're not regarding me as a princess. It's refreshing to hear you say that without my having to correct you."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm glad you're happy." Tetra said, frowning, "But I wish I knew what was going on. What brings the princess of Hyrule out here to the Great Sea?"

And suddenly, the moment of fun was shattered and she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She remembered the unfairness of the destiny that was shoved upon her. She was the princess of Hyrule. Her father was dead. Her friends were in danger.

A girl from another realm, a realm hidden underneath the folds of her own, was helping her reclaim her throne and at the same time claiming they had met before when she knew she had never set eyes on her in her life. And yet, why did she keep getting visions of things she did not remember, yet knew she had experienced them once before?

And the strange yearning for something…a yearning for something she did not have the words for. The pain that it caused her not to have it; it was physically agonizing.

"Hyrule castle has fallen to the hands of the enemy." She found herself saying.

"What?" Tetra asked incredulously, "What enemy? Where did they come from?"

"They came from seemingly out of nowhere." There was a lump in her throat now. "They killed my father, and my friend. And many more have suffered the consequences of my stupidity."

"Who sent the enemy?"

"My fiancé and…someone else I have…" Zelda swallowed hard, "…never met before."

"What are you doing out here?" Tetra asked. She seemed troubled. "What are you searching for?"

For some reason, she was no longer surprised that the girl in front of her seemed to know too much about what was going on for a person whom she had just met.

"I don't know what I am searching for." She admitted quietly. "But it is a yearning for something, a longing that I cannot seem to ignore."

"And it causes you pain not to have it, doesn't it?" Tetra asked, "It feels as though you'll never be complete without it."

"Yes." Her voice was impossibly soft.

"It was this that cause you pain earlier before wasn't it? And you're scared of failing, aren't you? You're afraid of what might happen if you fail."

If she failed, she died. It was as simple as that. But suddenly, death seemed more like a welcome option than anything else. She would see her father again. Her mother. Impa. With a bitter smile, she contemplated death, and a million emotions played over her face. But she could not do it. She could not picture her death. She could not picture herself dying. No. It was not that. It was that she could not picture herself forsaking her people, her friends…She could not do it.

"Please, tell me what's going on. Everything." Tetra begged.

A change had begun in Zelda from the moment she felt true agony. It shook the depths of her soul, the very foundation of her core. It was then and there that she realized she was beginning to lose herself to someone she did not know. Something was taking over her body, her mind, and her soul. And she could not stop it.

"Midna is not a hylian as you and I are." She began, a wry smile placing itself upon her lips.

Tetra blinked and bunched up her eyebrows.

"What is she then?"

"She is of the Twili." Zelda answered, gazing at her with unnervingly intense eyes. "She traveled from the Twilight Realm to Hyrule. She is the Twilight Princess."

"I'm traveling in the company of princesses?"

"Indeed. She says she knows Link and I, but we have never met her before in our lives. I don't know her. I don't know her!"

She did not know why she was screaming. There was a doubt, a nagging fear in her mind. What had happened in the time Midna had been away from them? No. That was incorrect. She had never met her before in her life. But she had. No, she hadn't!

_A flash of light. A shroud of darkness. Hyrule covered by the twilight._

She shook her head roughly. She moaned and clutched her head.

_"The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"_

Her hand burned and she slammed herself back against the wall. She was lost. Confused. Angry. So many things at once. And she could not think. She could only feel. And see.

_"Pr-Princess…I…I…"_

_"Say nothing, Midna…Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly…"_

Words spoken. A promise.

_"Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."_

_"The history…light and shadow…written in blood…!"_

_"…two sides of the same coin…cannot exist without the other…"_

_"I will risk everything to deny you!"_

_"…take up arms against the king of light and shadow…"_

_"…the kind of absolute power only those chosen by the gods wield."_

Echoes, voices within her head. She clutched it tighter, gasps of desperation increasing.

"Zelda!"

A single shout brought her back down to earth. Her eyes burst open, wide, and undoubtedly alarmed. She gasped for breath as the back of her right hand burned. Tetra kneeled over her, an alarmed look upon her face. Something was wrong with the other girl, the girl who claimed to be the princess of a kingdom under siege. She could feel it. But she kept quiet. She would find out for sure soon enough.

"Are you alright?" Tetra asked her.

"I-I'm fine. You needn't worry about it." She said, shaky and out of breath.

As if emerging from a nightmare.

"We just arrived on Outset Island. We can get some rest here before continuing on to your destination."

Zelda was surprised to say the least.

"You're taking us there?" She asked, momentarily distracted from her disturbing relapse.

"Yes. I have decided to accompany you on this quest of yours. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't let anything happen to Hyrule. After all, I am a pirate. Whose ships would I pillage?" Tetra asked with a small smile.

But Zelda already knew that wasn't the reason she was doing it. It was because she truly cared about Hyrule. Underneath that rough exterior, she really cared.

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Once alone inside the room because Tetra had left to prepare some kind of crutch, Zelda found herself sinking slowly into an abysmal depression. She would finally admit it to herself. She knew Midna. She had known her since she had been born, and maybe even before that. But why? Why was it that she could not remember anything from that time? And indeed, why was she remembering it now? How could she know and trust all these people she had just met?

Aryll…was happy and seemingly cheerful. She could be serious when need be, and she had a poignant sense of justice. And you could see it in her eyes that she loved her brother more than anything else in the world. Her lively eyes seemed so familiar to Zelda, but she did not know why. She had the faint notion that she had met her before, maybe for a short time, but known her nonetheless.

Link…

A lump formed in her throat when she thought of the blonde haired boy. There was a squeeze in her heart that she did not have the words for. He was kind, and gentle, but he had fierce reflexes when it came to the battle field. And she knew him. She knew she had known him before. Where, and when was not clear to her. But it would explain the way she already trusted him with everything she had. It was unnatural, not to mention unnerving, that she thought she could tell him anything and he would not flinch away.

Midna…She was an enigma to her. Most of the time, Zelda could tell, just by a glance, that she was thinking about them. About Link and herself. About those long years lost to her that could've been an eternity to her, yet reflected themselves as only a year in Midna's kingdom. If Zelda was to truly believe Midna, to admit to herself that the voices in her head were not her imagination, she would have to come up with a feasible explanation for everything.

If she matched up the dots between her data and Midna's, there was a questionable time skip in from the moment she left Hyrule, and the moment she arrived back in it. In Hyrule, it had been 500 years since anything Midna described had happened. But in the Twilight realm, it had only been 1 year. What could explain this? That is, if it was even true. But deep down, Zelda knew it was. She had known all along.

And if she was correct, the only cause for the time skip would be if the Twilight Realm had a different time flow than Hyrule. And if that were true, then it would explain why 500 years past in Hyrule, when only 1 past in the Twilight Realm. She had never been to the Twilight Realm, but already she was sure that there existed no light within that darkness. There existed only shadow, and the denizens of the Twilight. This was the only plausible explanation her logical mind could come up with. The only one that seemed real.

Sheik…he was agile, and quick witted. He had talent with the bow, and he seemed to keep up with his surroundings quite well. He was loyal, he had proven that much, and he had led Marin to safety. That was enough for Zelda to trust him completely. But there was an attraction to him that she could not explain. It was not romantic, it was…in personality.

And then there was Tetra. The feisty, agile, and analytical minded pirate who, deep down, had a heart of gold. She would never admit it to herself, but Zelda already trusted her even more than she trusted Link. It was an unfathomable bond that she had formed in less than five hours with the pirate that had tried to kill her. Even in her mind, that seemed logically impossible. But at the same time, it seemed probable.

"Zelda, I present to you the crutches of a lifetime."

She snapped from her reverie. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard, even less seen, Tetra walk in with Link and Aryll in tow. Tetra was grinning at her apologetically.

"I couldn't find anything you could use on the ship, so these two are going to be your crutches until we get to my mother's house." She explained.

Link shot Tetra a dirty look, but she just rolled her eyes and ignored him. Link stuck out his tongue.

"Oh yeah, real mature." Aryll muttered.

Zelda couldn't help but laugh softly at Link. With a surprised expression, he turned back to her.

"What?" He asked, clueless.

"Your density of mind astounds me." Tetra said flatly.

Aryll sighed when Link turned back to Tetra, ready to glare and argue as much as the rest of the day permitted. She turned to Zelda who was watching them argue with a somewhat mild interest.

"We're already moored on Outset, and I'll bet you want to go outside and see it than be in these stuffy quarters, huh?" Aryll asked her.

Zelda turned to her and smile gratefully. One quality she had forgotten to mention in her mental list had been the fact that Aryll was very empathetic, not to mention tactful.

"Yes. I do wish to get out of here." She admitted.

That stopped Link and Tetra. Link smiled apologetically and extended his arm.

"Sorry about that. She just gets on my nerves." He explained.

Tetra twitched on the side.

"I get on your nerves?! You get on _my_ nerves!" She exploded, fuming.

She stormed out the door. Link grinned mischievously. Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly in understanding.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She asked, suspiciously.

He just shrugged, with the grin still plastered on his face.

Link and Aryll proceeded to help Zelda off the bed. She wrapped an arm around both their shoulders and heaved herself up on her good leg. Then, the three of them walked, well…hobbled in Zelda's case, after Tetra. Outside, they stuck to the right side past the stairs and to another door. Link opened it, one arm safely wrapped around Zelda's waist, and then walked outside. The waning daylight momentarily caught Zelda off guard. The sun was setting, and shone through the trees.

Once off deck, she could spot Midna on the pier. She was down on her knees and she was staring at the fish in the water as if she were a little girl. Tetra sat next to her, her feet in the water. Next to her, there was a woman. A woman who looked like Tetra a lot. The woman within the picture inside of Tetra's quarters. Her breath hitched in her throat again.

Unknowingly, Link moved towards them.

"Midna, Tetra!" He called out, and waved.

Startled, Midna jumped and lost her balance, falling into the water with a splash. She surface, sputtering and muttering colorful things at Link. Tetra took things much more gracefully than Midna had and jumped up on the deck, a dagger at the ready. The woman just turned around and smiled. But then her eyes met Zelda's and the smile faltered, and eventually faded completely.

"Who have you brought with you, Tetra?" The woman asked sharply.

Startled by her reaction, Tetra blinked at her confusedly.

"They're from Hyrule. And Midna is from somewhere there too." She tried to explain.

She sounded more like a five year old in the presence of this woman.

"Who are they? Name each one."

The woman's biting tone was still there, and if Zelda hadn't known any better, she almost sounded panicky. But not once did her eyes leave Zelda's.

"Well, the boy is Link and his sister Aryll, is on the other side. They're both from Ordon. And the girl in the middle is Zelda. She's from Hyrule Castle."

"Zelda…the Princess of Hyrule?" The woman asked in a small whisper.

She had suddenly grown quiet. And then she marched past the three of them and into the island.

"Mother?!" Tetra shouted, taking a few steps after her.

"Show them to their rooms!" Was her only answer.

"I don't understand…" Tetra murmured. "She's never acted that way before. Not since she last traveled to Hyrule…"

Zelda's heart pounded. Because of what she knew, she had the astounding and impossible suspicion that this was not the end.

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The next morning, Zelda awoke to the scent of flowers. She shifted in the comfortable bed Tetra had forced her to sleep in and sat up. On the floor next to her, Tetra slept soundly, her hand twitching around her trusty dagger. Not knowing what took over her, Zelda tossed a pillow at her head. As soon as it hit her, Tetra's eyes shot open and she took the pillow, slammed it against the floor in front of her, and stabbed it.

She breathed heavily, and turned to look at Zelda through sleepy eyes. Zelda's eyes were wide. That poor, defenseless pillow…

"Maybe you shouldn't sleep with that dagger in hand…" Zelda stated nervously.

"No comment…" Tetra muttered.

Tetra rubbed her eyes and stretched, the light filtering through the binds in the window highlighting her blonde hair. Zelda shifted her good leg of the bed and carefully slid the bad one off. Tetra watched her surreptitiously. With a sly smile, she turned to the wooden desk at the corner. Zelda watched her wearily.

"I will heal that leg of yours in five seconds!" Tetra exclaimed.

"Eh?" Zelda asked, startled.

Tetra rummaged through it until she found what she was looking for. She whirled around towards Zelda and held up a bottle. A small glowing light emanated from it. Squinting closer, Zelda spotted

"A fairy?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"It will heal you. I swear." Tetra said truthfully.

She uncorked the bottle and stood back as the fairy floated upwards. Just before it could begin its job, the door burst open and Aryll, Link, and Midna trudged inside.

"Oh no you don't!" Aryll yelled as she ripped the bottle from Tetra's hands.

She scooped the fairy back inside.

"Why not?" Tetra asked, "It'll heal it immediately!"

"She's right, you know." Midna added.

"It's supposed to heal naturally." Aryll said.

Zelda sighed.

"Look, it's my choice, right?" She asked, "Let's try the fairy. Besides, I don't want to suffer any unnecessary pain."

Reluctantly, Aryll uncorked the bottle. The small fairy floated towards Zelda's leg and flew straight into it. Zelda hissed in pain. But then, all of a sudden, it was gone.

"Did it work?" Link asked quietly.

Aryll bent down to look at the leg. She cautiously unwrapped the bandages. The wound was gone. All that was left of it was blood and a mess of used healing herbs. Tetra grinned.

"Let's get that legs washed, then." Aryll said, a small tone of disapproval lining her voice.

Zelda cautiously stood up. When her leg didn't hurt, she smiled widely.

"The fountain is outside." Tetra said, and led the way.

Zelda followed her, reveling in the feel of her leg. It was almost surreal after all that time with pain. In the lading of the house, Tetra's mother stared out the window. Zelda couldn't help the pounding of her heart and how it started again as she thought of yesterday. But then Tetra led them outside through the door to her house. She motioned her to the small fountain right next to the house.

Zelda leaned down and soaked her leg, washing it with water. It had been a long time since she had felt her leg clean, and it felt good. When she was done with her leg, she looked back out towards the ocean. The ship they had sailed in was moored on the small dock of the island.

"We're setting sail immediately." Tetra informed us.

She raced back inside the house and brought back some supplies.

"We have no time to lose, and I was up last night thinking of what we needed."

"Wait, you're coming with us?" Midna asked.

Tetra smirked.

"Didn't want you to have all the fun." She said, grinning.

Midna allowed herself a small smile, and walked towards the dock. Aryll and Tetra followed her with fast paces. Link stayed behind, waiting for her.

"You seem sad." He observed.

Zelda nodded slightly.

"I don't want to leave. But I must."

Silently, she walked with him to the ship, and ran right up the plank onto deck.

"Wait!" A voice shouted.

Zelda looked back and saw Tetra's mother running towards them. She skidded to a stop in front of the plank.

"You're leaving so abruptly?" She asked.

Zelda nodded, a grim smile placed precariously upon her face.

"I must find a way to save Hyrule. And I will find it in the Tower of the Gods." She said.

The woman was silent for a moment, and then she nodded.

"What happened to the king of Hyrule?"

The question caught Zelda off guard.

"He…he died. He died in front of the whole of Castle Town." She said hesitantly.

The woman flinched and looked away.

"May the Goddesses protect you." She said, and turned on her heel.

Zelda stared at her retreating back, a peculiar sense of loss clouding her senses. With the wind brushing her face and ruffling her hair, she turned to the island. Two small children stood watching from the bridge that connected the island. Beside them stood a young woman carrying a jug of water on her head, also watching. Her hand crept to her throat and she suddenly did not want to leave. A warning bell echoed in her head, and it seemed to tell her to stay. She would be safer if she stayed.

But she forced herself to take a step back so the pirates under Tetra's orders could pull up the planks from the docks. She continued taking steps back until her back hit something. She whirled around, finding herself face to face with the ladder to the crow's nest. As if a thousand ghouls were chasing her, she hurled herself at them climbing them with a speed she had never thought herself capable of. And when she reached the top, she gripped the rails and watched as the island became farther away. And finally, she allowed herself to scream.

Because she was afraid of what would happen in the future.

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She remained in the crow's nest for the rest of the trip, vaguely aware of the sharp silence her scream had caused on the ship. Thankfully, no one had come up to try and comfort her. She rose from her sitting position and gripped the rails again, attempting to calm herself down before she broke down into panicked sobs. She had known when this had started that this was what she had to do. She knew the dangers that might lie ahead. She knew that there was a chance that at the end of this, she would be dragging down all of her companions.

She knew that at the end of this, there was a chance that she would not survive.

"Zelda?"

She whirled around only to be met by a startled Tetra. The sight of her brought tears to her eyes, and she did not know why. The tugging in her heart grew stronger once more, coursing through her like a rush of adrenaline. She sunk onto her knees slowly, her hands remaining on the railing of the tiny crow's nest. She gasped for breath as the sobs kept coming. Two soft hands drew her into an embrace and she buried her head in Tetra's hair.

Tetra rocked Zelda back and forth, humming a lullaby her mother had taught her years earlier. Soft and musical, it calmed Zelda slowly, lulling her into a trancelike state. But still, her grip on Tetra was far from lax. Running a hand through Zelda's soft hair, Tetra sighed and moved back to pinch Zelda's nose a bit. She smiled softly at her.

"Feel better?" She asked her.

Zelda nodded slowly, refusing to be detached. For a second, she felt closer to this stranger than she had to anyone else in the world.

"I'm scared." She admitted.

She had been doing a lot of admitting lately, and crying as well. It seemed almost a lifetime away since the last time she had smiled without worrying if it would be the last tie she ever did. Without worrying whether or not in the time space of the next second, she would forget how.

"It makes you human," Tetra responded, "Quite frankly, I'm scared as well. I don't think anyone here isn't. Not with the news you've brought us. The tides of war are approaching, and everyone here is counting on you to lead us to victory. But don't worry. If you need someone to help you, you've got us."

"I'm afraid of losing you all."

Tetra snorted.

"As if I plan on dying anytime soon. Didn't I tell you?" She said, "I have a deal with the goddesses. I'm gonna live forever."

Zelda smiled into her hair, a stray tear squeezing itself out of her eye.

"All that's happened…it's sad…but it's true, isn't it?" Tetra asked. "Your father really died, and we are under attack…"

It was funny how in a second, her life could change from good to horrifying. How fun can switch to serious in the space of a second.

"If it made you feel better, if it made you feel safer, I would lie to you and say that everything is fine. That I'm just a princess running away from her father's steel clutches. But I can't..." Her voice choked, "I can't lie to you. Everything is going to change now, and nothing will ever be the same. I cannot regain what I have lost in that first attack. I will never regain what I'll lose in this war…"

Tetra blinked back the tears that threatened to engulf her. Looking at the princess, she saw not determination, not sorrow, not courage, but she saw what she knew the princess would never wish to abide in herself. She saw weakness. The emotion in everything she said, everything was marred in an attempt to not show weakness. She knew it to be true.

But here she was, finally liberating every fear in her mind to a complete stranger. It baffled her, the capability of trust that this girl had. If she was not careful, she would certainly end up getting hurt, and if that happened, she was not sure she would be able to take it. Zelda did not show it, but she was fragile, like a porcelain doll. And she struggled, not only with outer conflicts, but with inner ones.

That pain she had felt earlier had not belonged to her. It had belonged to Zelda. And she was not entirely sure that it had all been physical. If there was one more emotional blow, she would undoubtedly shatter.

"What is it that troubles you so, princess?" She asked.

Zelda blinked, confused and almost unfocused, as if her mind had been in a faraway place. Then she looked…defensive.

"What do you mean?" Her tone of voice was sharp.

"What truly troubles you? There is something else…I don't know how I know this, but I can see that there's something else bothering you. At least, I can feel it."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"Zelda…" Tetra said slowly, "I never said there was anything wrong with you…But that makes me wonder if there is."

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about!" She snapped.

She rose on her legs and backed away from Tetra. Tetra rose up after her, surer than ever that Zelda was hiding something. But the threatened and angry look that the princess gave her was more than enough warning. Something told her that normally the princess would never act like this. And so, something was very, very wrong.

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In all her life, she had never seen something that actually seemed like it could touch the sky. The Tower of the Gods loomed overhead, a lone pillar amongst the ocean waves. To the northeast of it there looked to be a mountain, or at least some kind giant island. The graying tower seemed to rise straight out from the ocean, and she watched in amazement as they drew closer.

Zelda gripped the blades at her side tightly. She struggled to control her feeling of panic. Gulping it down, she sucked in her breath and moved towards the deck. Link watching the waves, a carefree look placed upon his face. Somehow, his expression infuriated her. But she beat down her anger. It wasn't his fault she was feeling like this. It wasn't his fault he was better off not knowing anything that was flashing through her chaotic mind.

"Link?" She asked him, her voice shaking slightly.

Link turned back to her, his eyes widening slightly. He seemed anxious, although why he was escaped her.

"Yes princess?"

"We'll be alright, won't we?" She asked, "Nothing will happen to us, right?"

There was a flash of uncertainty in his eyes, but he nodded reassuringly.

"Yes, princess. We'll be fine. And if it comes down to it, I will protect you."

The honesty in his voice stirred something within her, and she blinked as if coming out from a dream.

_"I missed you…"_

"What…?" She trailed off.

"Link, Zelda!" Aryll called.

The both of them turned to face Midna and Aryll, both of whom were pointing behind them at Tetra on one of the lifeboats.

"Come on, Goat Boy, we're leaving." Aryll said, grabbing Link by the hand and dragging him towards Tetra.

"I was talking to Zelda!" He protested, "I need to talk to her."

"Later." Aryll said.

Midna turned to Zelda, who was staring after Link with an odd expression situated upon her face.

"Zelda…what's wrong with you?" She asked.

Zelda froze.

"There's nothing wrong with me." She replied acidly. "Just leave me alone, Twilight Princess."

Midna stared after Zelda's retreating back, shock coursing through her veins. In all of the time she had known Zelda, not once had she seen her act this way with anyone. Not once had she seen her act so unkindly towards someone. So spitefully. Not ever.

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She sat rigidly on the lifeboat, the waves rocking it back and forth as they reached the entrance to the tower. Almost immediately, Aryll stiffened and gripped Link's arm tightly.

"I can't go in there." She stated, her voice high pitched.

She was referring to the small, dark entrance that was straight in the center of two man made water falls. Zelda turned to her and nodded.

"You should go back to the ship with the pirates then." She suggested, "That way you'll feel safer. And if anything happens, you can go seek help from the Rito."

Midna looked at her.

"Do you think something will happen?"

With blatant honesty, Zelda nodded.

"Something will go wrong today."

Midna's expression turned to one of outrage.

"Why didn't you say anything?! We could've come prepared!"

With everyone watching her, she stood up and went inside through the entrance.

"That would not have altered any of our fates. No matter what we would have done, it would have ended the same way. Something will indeed go wrong now. And I intend to face it."

With that, she headed straight into the darkness, the fear suffocating her almost instantly.

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Almost instantly, she knew it was wrong. Walking up a spiral staircase, Link, Midna, and Tetra following close behind with lit torches, Zelda forced herself to press forward. Rounding the corner, Zelda found herself face to face with a large, unlocked door. She pushed it open. Within, there was a large circular room. A single squared window marked the roof of the room. It filtered the little light within the room. After her companions walked within, the door slammed shut.

She should never have come here.

"You have come, my Princess of Destiny."

No. She knew that voice. It couldn't be…

"Zant…" She moaned.

A hushed gasp echoed behind her. The man who had been meant to be her fiancé stood within the center of the room, the darkness shrouding his features. But even so, she knew it was him. She ran forward without thinking. And as if a bucket of water had been tossed on her face, she stopped short a few feet from him. She had almost lost control of her intense rage. And worse…she had wanted to.

"Dearest Princess Zelda…" His voice drawled, as he took a few steps into the light.

He had not changed in the least. She growled in rage, loathing in its purest form taking its place within her. She swiped at him with her twin blades, unthinkingly.

"No Zelda!" Midna yelled, rushing forward.

But quite suddenly, vines surged upwards, wrapping themselves around Link, Tetra, and Midna. Link struggled with all his might, trying to get free.

"Zelda!" He cried.

But she wasn't listening. She wasn't thinking.

"Din's fire!" She roared.

A tugging sensation pulled at the pit of her stomach and she crouched down on the floor and gasped for breath, slapping her hands together. The unyielding sound of fire seemed to shout in her ears and she struck upwards with her right hand. And in time with it surged fire. She relentlessly swept at him, even though he dodged each swipe with ease, and somehow deflected her fire. With a soft smirk on his face, he egged her on.

"Stop this, princess. What infuriates you so?"

"You mean besides the obvious reasons?!" She shouted, her voice filled with hatred. "You're alive!"

He laughed infuriatingly.

"Why is it that you wish so much harm on me?" He asked, feigning innocence. "After all, you brought this down upon yourself."

In a moment of pure, uncontrolled rage, she flung one of her blades at him. It grazed his shoulder, but it was enough to make him snap. In one fluid motion, he knocked her back against the wall, her head smashing against pure rock. She slid down to her feet, her mind teetering in a gray abyss.

"Zelda!" Link struggled.

But instead, Tetra was the one who managed to get free.

"Get away from her, you bastard!" She shouted, "Zelda!"

She ran towards her and caught her when she stumbled.

"Yes…that's it. Go to her, Tetra…" Zant hissed.

That flashing sensation of extreme pain shot throughout Zelda the moment Tetra's cool hands touched her fevered skin. She screamed, her voice hoarse. Beside her, Tetra hunched over, gasping.

"What are you doing here Zant?!" Midna shouted, struggling. "How did you find out where we were going?!"

Zant chuckled. Then he turned back to Zelda.

"Dearest princess. Your true awakening will be soon. The pain you feel is nothing but a reflection of what is yet to come. Soon it will take over your whole body. It will take control of your mind and your soul… and you cannot stop it." He chuckled, "He will be pleased. It is happening much sooner than we anticipated. The awakening of the Princess of Destiny is approaching."

"What are you talking about?!" Link yelled.

Ant ignored him fully, walking towards Zelda.

"Such a beautiful girl…I am sorry I cannot spare you. You could've been such a wonderful bride…"

"Stay away from me!" Zelda warned weakly.

"The changes in your personality are all part of the process. I am so sorry, princess…This was not in our plans to begin with. We never counted on the Great Spirits to help us find you. That is, except for Eldin, who still stubbornly refuses to abandon the Goddesses."

"What…? What are you saying?" Link asked.

Zant raised Zelda up by the throat. Tetra growled at him, swiping at him with her sword, but she stopped short, her eyes widening in surprise. Stumbling backwards, her sword clattered to the floor and her hands moved to her stomach. A small trickle of blood fell down the corner of her mouth, and she gripped the hilt of the dagger that was now lodged straight in her middle, a bit above her belly button. She looked up at Zant, and he, smirking at her, knocked her aside with one hand where she lay on the ground, unmoving.

"Te…tra…" Zelda gasped.

She tugged at the hands that held her throat weakly, the pain too much to bear. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision.

"No!" Link shouted, "Tetra, get up you damned pirate! Get up!"

Zant hurled Zelda up with all his might, and as if a spider web had entangled her, she stopped in the center of the room. Black ropes enveloped her and hung her from the ceiling. The ropes enveloping her spread out throughout her body, squeezing the air out of her lungs. She refused to scream, making no noise, simply crying as she watched the pool of blood underneath Tetra spread out on the floor.

_"I have a deal with the goddesses…I'm gonna live forever…"_

The burning in her hand spread like a flame, from the tip of her fingers to her head, leaving her in abysmal grayness. She could feel herself breaking under the strain of the tightening ropes that enslaved her. She let her head slump forward, wanting the pain to end. She wanted to fade. And almost as if in response to her wish, she felt herself slipping.

"I am saying that you have been duped by the Great Spirit Faron. You have been betrayed by the Guardian Spirit of the goddesses. And finally, today…you die."

And there, just as she was losing consciousness, an animalistic roar surged forth from beside Midna and a flash of light enveloped her sight. Then it all faded to black.

_"Hold on my dear, sweet child, for these are the first signs of betrayal…"_

**A/N: Was that confusing to you? If it was, then I've achieved my goal. I tried to reveal some of the plot, but at the same time leave some questions unanswered. Forgive my crummy spelling, because quite frankly, I tried to go over it. I probably didn't do a very good job though, since it was one in the morning when I checked it...But please, bear it for me. Next time I'll try harder. This time, I won't be including a preview. Just one simple line.**

**_The Hero sent by the Goddesses has finally awakened._**

**That's all for now.**

**Cheers!**


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